HEADLINE

Giants end interview with Patriots assistant Judge

Field Level Media

January 07, 2020 at 2:16 am.

With another NFC East team filling its head-coaching vacancy earlier Monday, the New York Giants are still making the rounds.

The latest to interview for the Giants job: New England Patriots special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach Joe Judge, whom New York announced Monday afternoon as the fifth candidate to speak with the team about replacing since-fired Pat Shurmur.

Unlike NFC East rivals Washington, who hired Ron Rivera on New Year’s Day, and Dallas, who tabbed ex-Green Bay boss Mike McCarthy on Monday, the Giants are taking their time in deciding on their new head coach — one full week since dismissing Shurmur and with more interviews reportedly scheduled this week.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that the Giants plan to meet with Baylor head coach Matt Rhule on Tuesday. The New York Post reported Sunday that the Giants are looking to move their meeting with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who reportedly set a trio of interviews for this coming Friday, up to this week. According to the Post, the Giants could try meeting with McDaniels on Wednesday, one day after the Rhule interview.

The Post also reported that McDaniels could skip ahead of Rhule on the interview schedule, though it did not make clear whether that meant Rhule’s interview would move to a different day or both coaches would interview Tuesday, with McDaniels’ happening first.

Rhule also was expected to talk with the Carolina Panthers on Monday about their head-coaching vacancy. But the Post reported Monday that Ruhle is likely the Giants’ top target, especially with McCarthy no longer available.

Judge, 38, began his coaching career as a Mississippi State graduate assistant from 2005-07. He then served three years as an analyst for head coach Nick Saban at Alabama from 2009-11, joining the Patriots in 2012 as an assistant special teams coach. He was promoted to special teams coach in 2015 and held the title of special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2019 for the Patriots, whose season ended Saturday in a home loss to the Tennessee Titans in an AFC wild-card playoff game.

The Giants, who fired Shurmur last Monday after two seasons with a 9-23 record, have also held formal meetings with Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, Dallas Cowboys defensive passing game coordinator Kris Richard and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy — in addition to McCarthy.

New York finished 4-12 this season and have won just 12 games combined over the past three seasons. The Giants have lost 10 or more games in five of the past six years.

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