*A recap of the New York Giants' head coach interviews to-date: *
Eric Studesville
Former Broncos assistant head coach/RB coach
Eric Studesville, whose 21 years in the NFL include a three-year stint as the Giants' running backs coach, on Wednesday became the sixth candidate to interview for the Giants' head coaching position. He is the first hopeful who was not a coordinator in 2017.
Studesville, 50, has 17 years of experience as a running backs coach, a positon he held the previous eight years with the Denver Broncos. In 2017, Studesville was also Denver's assistant head coach. He was dismissed by the Broncos at the end of the season.
Studesville was the Giants' running backs coach from 2001-03.
Studesville has coached three Pro Bowl running backs: Marshawn Lynch (2008), Willis McGahee (2011) and C.J. Anderson (2014). During his tenure as a running backs coach, he guided five players to a total of nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons with McGahee (three), Tiki Barber (two), Lynch (two), Knowshon Moreno (one) and Fred Jackson (one) reaching the mark.
Steve Wilks
Panthers Defensive Coordinator
Steve Wilks, a 12-year NFL coaching veteran who just completed his first season as the Carolina Panthers' defensive coordinator, on Tuesday became the fifth candidate to interview for the Giants' head coaching position.
Under Wilks' direction, the Panthers' defense ranked seventh in the NFL in 2017, allowing an average of 317.1 yards a game. Carolina was third against the run, giving up just 88.1 yards-per-game on the ground. The Panthers were third in the league with 50 sacks and ranked 11th in scoring defense, allowing 20.4 points a game.
Wilks joined the Panthers in 2012 as the team's secondary coach, a position he held for five seasons. In 2015-16, he was also the team's assistant head coach and helped coach Ron Rivera with the day-to-day operations of the club.
In 2015, Wilks' secondary was instrumental in helping the Panthers advance to Super Bowl 50. Carolina went 15-1 that season while leading the NFL in interceptions (24), takeaways (39) and turnover differential (plus-20). Despite injuries to several defensive backs, the Panthers limited opposing quarterbacks to an NFL-low 73.5 passer rating and were sixth in the NFL in total defense, their fourth consecutive top 10 finish.
Photos of new Giants head coach Pat Shurmur's coaching career, most recently the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings
Pat Shurmur
Vikings Offensive Coordinator
Pat Shurmur, whose 19-year NFL coaching career includes a two-year stint as the Cleveland Browns' head coach, on Saturday became the fourth candidate to interview for the Giants' coaching position.
During his NFL coaching career, Shurmur has been a part of teams that have qualified for the playoffs nine times, won seven division titles, and, while with Philadelphia, played in Super Bowl XXXIX vs. New England to cap the 2004 season.
Shurmur is finishing his second year with the Minnesota Vikings, one of four teams with an NFL-best 13-3 record in 2017. He began the 2016 season as the tight ends coach and for the final nine games was also the offensive coordinator, the title he retained this season.
The Vikings finished 10th in the NFL in scoring (23.9 points a game), 11th in total yardage (356.9 a game), and seventh in rushing yardage (122.3-yard average). Minnesota was also third in the league in third-down conversion percentage (43.5, with 94 successes on 216 attempts).
Photos of head coaching candidate Josh McDaniels, who is currently the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots
Josh McDaniels
Patriots Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach
Josh McDaniels, a member of New England's coaching staff for all five of the Patriots' Super Bowl championships, including two as offensive coordinator, became the third candidate and first offensive coach to interview for the Giants' head coaching position. McDaniels was interviewed Friday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
McDaniels has coached under Bill Belichick with the Patriots for 14 of the last 17 seasons. The 2017 season was his sixth in his second stint as New England's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. McDaniels previously held those dual positions from 2006-08.
In the 2017 regular season, the Patriots led the NFL in total yards (394.2 a game) and were second in passing yards (276.1) and scoring (28.6 points-per-game). It was the seventh time McDaniels' offense finished with a top 10 ranking, and the third time it had the league's highest yardage total (also 2007 and 2012). New England finished 13-3, tying three other teams for the league's best record, and has a bye this weekend.
Photos of head coaching candidate Matt Patricia, who is currently the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots
Matt Patricia
Patriots Defensive Coordinator
Matt Patricia became the first known rocket scientist to interview for the Giants head coaching position.
Patricia, 43, a former aeronautical engineer, has been a member of the New England Patriots coaching staff since 2004 and the team's defensive coordinator for the last six seasons. He was interviewed Friday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Patricia has been with the Patriots for three of their five Super Bowl victories, as well as their losses to the Giants in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.
In 2017, the Patriots had the quintessential bend-but-don't-break defense under Patricia. They ranked 29th in the NFL in yards allowed (366.0), but a much more impressive fifth in scoring defense (18.5 points a game). Only one of the Patriots' final 12 opponents scored more than 24 points. For the second season in a row, New England allowed only six rushing touchdowns, the league's second-lowest total.
Steve Spagnuolo
Giants Interim Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
The first candidate to interview for the Giants' head coaching position was the last man to hold the job. Steve Spagnuolo, who just completed his third season as defensive coordinator and a one-month stint as the team's interim head coach, interviewed Wednesday.
A season-ending 18-10 victory against Washington gave Spagnuolo a 1-3 record as the Giants' interim coach. He was named to the position on Dec. 4, when Ben McAdoo was dismissed. Spagnuolo is in his second tenure as the Giants' defensive coordinator. He previously held the position in 2007-08.
In 2016, the Giants fielded the NFL's most-improved defense, one that was a catalyst behind the team's 11-5 record and first postseason berth in five years. That season, the Giants' defense achieved top 10 rankings in 12 statistical categories recognized by the NFL, including a top five ranking in eight critical columns on the stat sheet: touchdowns allowed (first), red zone efficiency (first), points allowed per game (second), opposing quarterback rating (second), yards allowed per rush (second), third-down efficiency (third), completion percentage (third) and first downs allowed per game (fifth).
