— The New York Giants have fired head coach Brian Daboll, the team announced after reports first surfaced via ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move follows a 2-8 start to the 2025 season and continued criticism over in-game collapses and player health management. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was named interim head coach; the change comes as the franchise seeks to stabilize a roster beset by injuries and uneven play. Owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said the decision was driven by disappointment with recent results and the need for a different direction on the field.
Key Takeaways
- The Giants dismissed Brian Daboll on November 10, 2025, after a 2-8 start to the season and an overall 20-40-1 record as head coach.
- Mike Kafka, 38, is the club’s interim head coach and will oversee the remainder of 2025; this is his first head-coaching opportunity at any level.
- Jaxson Dart, the Giants’ 2025 first-round quarterback, has suffered his fourth concussion-related evaluation since the preseason; he left the team’s most recent game with a concussion.
- The ownership statement by John Mara and Steve Tisch cited multiple disappointing seasons and fan frustration as reasons for the move.
- GM Joe Schoen and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen remain in place for now, according to The Athletic.
- Daboll won NFL Coach of the Year in 2022 after a 9-7-1 season and a wild-card victory, but subsequent campaigns fell short of expectations.
- The Giants have employed six head coaches since 2016; Kafka becomes the fourth interim coach in franchise history.
Background
Brian Daboll was hired by the Giants after a high-profile run as an offensive coordinator, most notably working with Josh Allen in Buffalo. Expectations were high when the Daboll–Joe Schoen era began; in 2022 New York went 9-7-1, won a wild-card game and Daboll earned Coach of the Year honors. That early success did not translate into sustained progress: injuries, roster turnover and inconsistent quarterback play have kept the team below .500 in subsequent seasons.
Entering 2025, Daboll and GM Joe Schoen were widely viewed as vulnerable if results did not improve, especially after the organization used a first-round pick on quarterback Jaxson Dart. The decision to install Dart as the starter — and bench Russell Wilson — has been scrutinized alongside questions about player protection and concussion frequency. Organizational friction, reported tension within the front office and notable departures of staff have all added to the sense that a reset was possible.
Main Event
On the evening of November 10, 2025, reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter signaled Daboll’s ouster; the Giants shortly followed with an official team announcement. Owners John Mara and Steve Tisch issued a statement saying they had discussed the franchise’s direction and decided a change at head coach was necessary to meet expectations and address fan dissatisfaction. The club confirmed Mike Kafka as interim head coach — Kafka has handled play-calling duties at points in 2025 and now assumes full sideline control.
The move came a day after New York fell to 2-8 on the season, renewing scrutiny of repeated blown double-digit leads in road losses. The team has been forced to navigate significant injuries to key contributors; Dart’s concussion history this season and season-ending injuries to weapons such as Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo were cited in coverage as factors complicating evaluation of coaching performance. For now, Joe Schoen and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen remain employed, according to reporting from The Athletic.
Daboll departs with a 20-40-1 record. His tenure will be remembered for its peak in 2022 and for subsequent decline: inability to maintain a winning trajectory, staff turnover and public moments of organizational friction. The owners framed the decision as a response to a multi-year trend rather than a single game or episode, signaling an intent to change course heading into 2026.
Analysis & Implications
The in-season firing shifts the Giants into a short-term triage mode and a long-term evaluation of leadership. Kafka’s immediate task is pragmatic: stabilize a 2-8 club, manage a patchwork offense without key targets, and protect Jaxson Dart’s development amid concussion concerns. Kafka’s performance over the remainder of 2025 will materially affect his candidacy in the 2026 hiring cycle, but the sample size is small and contextual factors (injuries, roster talent) will weigh heavily on judgments.
From a front-office perspective, the decision to retain Schoen for now suggests ownership wants continuity in roster-building even as it replaces sideline leadership. That split — new coach, same GM — mirrors other franchises’ approaches when ownership believes the team’s personnel strategy still has merit. However, if on-field results do not improve or if further internal reports surface, the front-office structure could be revisited in the offseason.
Player-health optics are likely to intensify after this change. Dart’s repeated concussion evaluations have already drawn criticism of in-game protection and decision-making; ownership and management will be pressured to demonstrate rigorous protocols and clear communication on player safety. How the Giants manage Dart’s availability and long-term development will be a central narrative for the remainder of 2025 and into the offseason.
Comparison & Data
| Timeframe | Record |
|---|---|
| 2022 season | 9-7-1 |
| 2025 (through Nov. 10) | 2-8 |
| Brian Daboll tenure (total) | 20-40-1 |
The table highlights the contrast between Daboll’s first season and the cumulative result through his firing. The 9-7-1 debut produced immediate optimism, but subsequent losing records created pressure that culminated in this mid-November change. Contextual factors like roster turnover, key offseason decisions and injury trends are necessary to interpret these raw figures.
Reactions & Quotes
Owners framed the change as a responsibility to fans and the franchise. Their statement emphasized disappointment with recent results and a desire for a “significantly improved product,” signaling a results-driven rationale for the dismissal.
“We spoke this morning about the direction of our franchise on the field, and we have decided that, at this time, it is in our best interest to make a change at the head coaching position.”
John Mara & Steve Tisch, Giants owners (team statement)
League reporters pointed to the timing and immediate internal impacts. NFL Network coverage identified Kafka as the interim replacement while framing the decision within the broader context of the team’s season-long struggles and previous staff departures.
“Mike Kafka will take over as interim head coach; the team hopes to find stability the rest of the way.”
NFL Network reporting (Garafolo/Rapoport)
Independent analysis underlined the development challenge with Jaxson Dart and concerns over player safety. Coverage has connected Dart’s concussion history and the losses in evaluating both coaching and medical approaches.
“Dart has shown flashes, but recurring concussion evaluations have raised questions about how the roster is being managed and protected.”
The Athletic (Dianna Russini, analysis)
Unconfirmed
- Any immediate plan to replace GM Joe Schoen or defensive coordinator Shane Bowen beyond the end of the season is unconfirmed and not publicly announced.
- Reports that Mike Kafka will permanently retain play-calling duties for the rest of 2025 are unconfirmed and subject to change as the interim regime settles in.
- Specific internal details about the nature or severity of tensions between Daboll and other staff earlier in 2025 have not been fully corroborated by the team.
Bottom Line
The Giants’ decision to fire Brian Daboll is an acknowledgment that early promise under his leadership has not produced sustainable success. Ownership framed the move as necessary to respond to multiple disappointing seasons and to address fan frustration. Short-term, Mike Kafka’s performance will be judged not only by wins but by how he manages injuries, protects a young quarterback and steadies a roster in flux.
Longer term, this firing begins a period of evaluation for New York’s coaching and personnel strategy. While Joe Schoen remains in place for now, offseason decisions — especially around quarterback development, talent additions and medical protocols — will determine whether the franchise moves toward stability or opts for broader change in 2026.
Sources
- ProFootballRumors — original report and team compilation (sports news blog)
- New York Giants — official team announcement and owners’ statement (team)
- NFL Network — reporting on coaching change and staff (national sports network)
- The Athletic — reporting and context on front-office status (sports journalism)