It’s Dec. 5, but it might as well be Groundhog’s Day in New England because Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is being rumored for another head-coaching job late in a season. The day when McDaniels’ name first gets mentioned has become an inevitable, annual tradition in New England.
The New York Giants fired Ben McAdoo on Monday and replaced him with interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Assuming the Giants won’t want to promote Spagnuolo, who accumulated a 10-38 record in three years with the Los Angeles Rams from 2009 to 2011, to full time, they’ll need a new head coach this offseason.
The Patriots expect the Giants to reach out to McDaniels, NBC Sports Boston’s Mike Giardi reported Tuesday. McDaniels was asked Tuesday on a conference call if he would be interested if the Giants do come calling.
“I’m just interested in the Dolphins right now,” McDaniels said. “That’s where my focus is, and that’s where it’s going to stay.”
The Patriots play the Dolphins in Miami on Monday night.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said last November that McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia deserve head-coaching jobs.
“I think both Josh and Matt are great coaches who should absolutely be on any head-coaching list,” Belichick said at the time. “I can’t imagine that there are many other coaches that could present a résumé equal or comparable to theirs. They’ve done a great job here for a sustained period of time, so great track record. I personally think that a list of head-coaching candidates that didn’t include them would be incomplete.”
He wasn’t interested in reiterating those comments Tuesday.
“I think I’ve been on the record so many times about our coaches, our coaching staff and questions along those lines,” Belichick said. “It’s gotta be notebooks full of questions that I’ve answered about that.”
Since the Giants fired general manager Jerry Reese, as well, perhaps McDaniels and Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio could go to New York, where Belichick worked from 1979 to 1990, as a package deal. Or they could stay in New England to someday take over for Belichick.
