The New York Giants have fired head coach Brian Daboll after Sunday's defeat to the Chicago Bears, marking the team's fourth straight loss.
The team released a statement confirming Daboll's dismissal while announcing that offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will take over as interim coach.
It added that Joe Schoen will remain in his post as General Manager and lead the search for a new head coach.
The Giants led the Bears by 10 points in Week 10 before suffering a 24-20 defeat that leaves the team 2-8 and on course for a third straight losing season under Daboll.
He posted a regular-season record of 20-40-1 during his three-and-a-half campaigns with the Giants.
"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," said president John Mara and chairman Steve Tisch said in a joint statement.
"The past few seasons have been nothing short of disappointing, and we have not met our expectations for this franchise. We understand the frustrations of our fans, and we will work to deliver a significantly improved product.
"We appreciate Coach Daboll for his contributions to our organization. We wish the Daboll family all the best in the future."
Daboll led New York to the playoffs just once behind a stellar 2022 season from quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. It was the first time the franchise had reached the playoffs since 2016.
He went on to guide the Giants to their first postseason victory since Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 when his team beat the Minnesota Vikings, before they were eventually halted by a 38-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
His impressive maiden season earned him Coach of the Year after a 9-7-1 record.
Sunday served as the second notable lead blown by the Giants this season after they led 19-0 and then 26-8 advantage against the Denver Broncos before succumbing 33-32 loss in Week Seven.
Daboll's .336 winning percentage ranks 154th out of 166 coaches with 50-plus games since 1970.
SportNews NFL's Cam Hogwood...
"Both Brian Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen had entered the 2025 campaign firmly on the NFL hot-seat after a disastrous 3-14 finish in 2024. Sunday's ugly defeat to the Bears had the feel of an inevitable conclusion.
"The Giants turned to Daboll in 2022 with the belief he could inspire the revival of a team, notably its offense, that had been limping through irrelevance and mediocrity for the best part of a decade. They had witnessed the instrumental role he played in Josh Allen's transformation in Buffalo, and sought to pair him with Daniel Jones in view of similar results for a quarterback struggling to live up to the standards expected of a No 6 overall Draft pick.
"It never quite materialised, at least not for the long-term. Though the failure to fix a perennially-debilitating offense line would also prove a defining factor.
"Immediate signs of life had arrived in his debut season as Jones produced a career-year, Daboll inspiring enhanced ball security for his turnover-prone play-caller while unleashing his threat on the ground to the tune of 708 rushing yards. Sure, the presence of a world-beater like Saquon Barkley helped matters.
"A season-ending injury for Jones in 2023 would ultimately derail his progress in New York, and the former Duke man was never quite the same from there on. Jones had signed a four-year $160m deal prior to the season, before the Giants' investment in their divisive quarterback came back to bite General Manager Schoen when he later allowed Barkley to depart to the Eagles in free agency.
"By mid-November in the 2024 campaign Jones had been benched for poor play, before being granted his request to be released days later and temporarily joining up with the Minnesota Vikings Daboll, Schoen and the Giants were back to square one.
"Jones has since gone on to inspire the Indianapolis Colts to an 8-2 start as one of the NFL's great comeback stories and a damning reflecting of Daboll's offense in New York. And while rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has installed long-coveted juice and spark to a team so long devoid of both, a results-business, including aforementioned blown leads, dictates that it was time for change.
"Some, however, may argue Schoen could well have followed him out the door. Time will tell."
