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Coach Interviews

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Head Coach Search: Track Giants' latest interviews

HEAD-COACH-TRACKER

Track the latest interviews conducted by the Giants for their next head coach. Candidates will be announced after each interview is completed.

Completed interviews:

Leslie Frazier

Current Position: Buffalo Bills Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach

Interview Dates: January 22 & 28

Frazier, who coordinated the NFL's top-ranked defense in 2021 and whose 23-year NFL coaching career includes a stint as a head coach, had his second interview for the Giants head coaching position.

Frazier, 62, had his initial conversation with the team on Saturday when he spoke via video conference with team president John Mara, chairman Steve Tisch and Joe Schoen, who was hired a week ago as the Giants' new general manager.

On Friday, Frazier met at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center with Mara, Tisch, Schoen and senior vice president of player personnel Chris Mara. He also met with other members of the front office and toured the team's facility.

Schoen and Frazier joined the Buffalo Bills in 2017 and spent the last five seasons working together, the former as the team's assistant general manager and the latter as defensive coordinator (and assistant head coach since 2020).

Frazier earned a Super Bowl ring as both a player and an assistant coach.

This season, Frazier's defense was a driving force as the Bills finished 11-6 and won their second consecutive AFC East title. Buffalo defeated New England in a wild card game two weeks ago and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in a divisional playoff game on Sunday night.

The Bills' defense finished first in the NFL in several statistical categories. The unit allowed the fewest points-per-game (17.0), fewest total yards (272.8) and passing yards (163.0) a game, fewest yards-per-play (4.6) and first downs a game (16.8) and the lowest opposing third-down conversion percentage (30.8 on 66 successes in 214 attempts). Buffalo also tied for third with 30 takeaways and has finished in the top 10 in that category in each of Frazier's five seasons as coordinator.

The defense compiled those numbers without a single player getting elected to the Pro Bowl.

Frazier was the Minnesota Vikings' interim head coach for the final six games of the 2010 season. After he led the team to three victories in six games, the interim tag was removed. In his second full season in 2012, running back Adrian Peterson was the NFL's most valuable player and the Vikings earned a playoff berth with a 10-6 record but lost a wild card game to division rival Green Bay. Frazier's last season with the Vikings was 2013 when they finished 5-10-1.

He spent two seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator and one as the Baltimore Ravens' secondary coach before joining the Bills.

Frazier began his career as the head coach at Trinity University – now known as Trinity International University – in Illinois from 1988-96. He was the defensive backs coach at Illinois from 1997-98.

In 1999, Frazier got his first NFL job when the Philadelphia Eagles hired him to be their defensive backs coach. He stayed four years before joining the Cincinnati Bengals as their defensive coordinator in 2003. Frazier was a defensive assistant with the Indianapolis Colts in 2005 and defensive backs and assistant head coach when they won Super Bowl XLI the following season. He joined the Vikings as defensive coordinator in 2007 and added the title of assistant head coach the following year, roles he kept until becoming interim head coach.

Frazier's five-year NFL playing career began in 1981, when he signed with the Chicago Bears as a free agent from Alcorn State. A defensive back, he became a standout player on one of the NFL's finest defenses. He led Chicago in interceptions in three consecutive seasons. When the Bears were 15-1 and won Super Bowl XX in 1985, Frazier had a team-high six picks as the Bears recorded 61 takeaways and held opponents to 12.4 points per game. But he tore his ACL during a trick punt return in the Super Bowl rout of New England and never played again.

Frazier finished his career with 20 interceptions for 343 return yards and two touchdowns.

Frazier and his wife, Gale have three children: Kieron, Chantel and Corey.

Brian Flores

Former Position: Miami Dolphins Head Coach

Interview Date: January 27

Flores is a four-time Super Bowl winner as an assistant in New England and the Miami Dolphins' head coach the previous three seasons.

Flores, a 40-year-old Brooklyn native, was 24-25 with the Dolphins. In his 2019 debut season, Miami lost its first seven games but finished 5-11, including a Week 17 victory against the Patriots that dropped New England to the third playoff seed and cost them a first-round bye. The following year, the Dolphins won nine of their last 12 games to finish 10-6 but did not qualify for the postseason. In 2021, Miami became the first team in NFL history to follow a seven-game losing streak with a seven-game winning streak. The Dolphins ended the season with a 9-8 record and out of the playoffs.

Despite two consecutive winning seasons, Flores was dismissed after the Dolphins again defeated New England in their final game.

Flores has coached all three phases of football – offense, defense and special teams – and began his professional career as a scout. During his 18 years in the NFL, Flores has contributed to victories in Super Bowls XXXIX, XLIX, LI and LIII and seven AFC championships, all with New England.

Flores joined the Dolphins in 2019 after spending 15 seasons in a variety of roles with the Patriots. He joined the organization as a scouting assistant in 2004 and was promoted to pro scout two years later.

Flores began his coaching career as a special teams assistant for New England from 2008-09. In 2010, Flores served as an offensive assistant and worked with special teams. He spent his final eight seasons (2011-18) in New England coaching defense, first as a defensive assistant (2011), then as safeties coach (2012-2015), linebackers coach (2016-2017) and finally as the team's defensive play-caller and linebackers coach in 2018.

A two-year starter at linebacker for Boston College, Flores was part of four bowl-winning teams. He was named to the Big East All-Academic Team in 2003. Flores graduated from BC with his bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in administrative studies.

Flores was a running back and linebacker at Poly Prep in Brooklyn.

Flores and his wife, Jennifer, were married in 2009. They have two sons, Miles and Maxwell, and a daughter, Liliana.

View photos of the career of Giants head coaching candidate Brian Flores.

Patrick Graham

Current Position: Giants Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator

Interview Date: January 26

Graham has received much praise for his work game-planning and calling the defensive signals the last two seasons.

In 2021, the defense kept the Giants competitive in several games when the offense struggled to score points, despite the short or long-term loss of Blake Martinez, Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan, Adoree' Jackson and Lorenzo Carter due to injuries or COVID-19. Although the Giants finished 21st in the NFL by allowing 354.8 yards a game, they were 11th after giving up an average of 5.3 yards-per-play.

Tae Crowder, the 255th and final selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, stepped in for Martinez to call plays in the huddle and led the Giants with 130 tackles. Second-year safety Xavier McKinney had a team-high five interceptions and won an NFC Defensive Player of the Week Award. Azeez Ojulari led the team and finished second among NFL rookies with 8.0 sacks.

The Giants' defense improved significantly in Graham's debut season as coordinator. The unit ranked ninth by allowing 357 points, 94 fewer than their total in 2019.

The defense was 12th in the NFL by allowing 349.3 yards-per-game after finishing 27th at 377.3 yards the previous season. It was their best defensive finish since 2016, when they were 10th in the league by allowing 339.7 yards a game. Giants opponents averaged just 5.3 yards a play, the NFL's ninth-lowest figure.

One year after placing 20th in the NFL, the rushing defense ranked 10th, allowing 111.4 yards a game. That was also their best figure since 2016 (when they were tied for third at 88.6 rushing yards a game). The pass defense jumped from 28th in the league in 2019 to a tie for 16th by giving up 237.9 yards game, the team's lowest figure since 2013, when the Giants allowed 223.3 yards a game through the air and were 10th in the league.

Graham has 13 years of NFL coaching experience with four teams. He has coached in the playoffs in eight of those seasons and has been part of teams that have won seven division titles, two conference championships and one Super Bowl (XLIX with New England).

Graham was the Miami Dolphins' defensive coordinator in 2019.

Prior to joining the Dolphins, Graham spent the 2018 season as the Green Bay Packers' inside linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator. Under his tutelage, Martinez totaled 144 tackles (91 solo) and a career-high 5.0 sacks. Green Bay's defense limited opponents to 4.3 yards per rush, which was 13th in the league.

Graham's line was instrumental in the Giants fielding the NFL's most improved defense in 2016. The team allowed 158 fewer points and 1,290 fewer yards than it did in 2015. Their 17.8 points per game allowed was second in the NFL and the team's best since 2002.

Graham began his NFL coaching career in New England, where he spent seven seasons with the Patriots (2009-15). He was a coaching assistant in 2009 before being promoted to defensive assistant in 2010 and linebackers coach in 2011. Graham moved to defensive line from 2012-13 before returning to the linebackers in 2014-15.

During his tenure with New England, the Patriots won the AFC East title all seven seasons, the conference championship twice and Super Bowl XLIX. In his five years as a position coach (2011-15), New England led the NFL in takeaways (150) and was tied for fourth in sacks (214).

Graham played collegiately at Yale, where he was a defensive lineman for the 1999 team that shared an Ivy League title with Brown. He earned his bachelor's degree in sociology with a concentration in economics and African American studies.

A native of Waterbury, Conn. (born in Des Plaines, Ill.), Graham and his wife, Pamela, have two children, Morgan and Silas.

View photos of the career of Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Brian Daboll

Current Position: Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator

Interview Dates: January 21 & 25

Daboll became the first Giants head coach candidate to have a second interview for the position.

Daboll, 46, spent the day at the team's Quest Diagnostics Training Center and met with team president John Mara, chairman Steve Tisch, senior vice president of player personnel Chris Mara and Joe Schoen, who was hired last week as the Giants' new general manager. He also met with other members of the front office and toured the facility.

Daboll's first interview was Friday evening via video conference with John Mara, Tisch and Schoen. Schoen and Daboll have worked together with the Bills for the last four seasons.

In 2021, Daboll's offense excelled as Buffalo won its second straight AFC East title with an 11-6 record. The Bills finished third in the NFL with 28.4 points a game and fifth with 381.9 yards a game. Quarterback Josh Allen finished sixth in the league with a franchise-record 409 completions, seventh with 36 touchdown passes and eighth with 4,407 yards. Allen's favorite target, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, caught 103 passes for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns.

This postseason, the Bills routed New England, 47-17, in a wild card playoff game and lost to the defending AFC champion Chiefs, 42-36 in overtime, on Sunday night in Kansas City in a divisional round game.

In 2020, Daboll was voted the AP's NFL Assistant Coach of the Year after the Bills finished 13-3 and unseated longtime powerhouse New England atop the division. Allen finished second in the NFL most valuable player voting after setting Buffalo single season franchise records with 4,544 yards, 37 touchdown passes, a 69.2 completion percentage and a 107.2 passer rating.

Daboll joined the Bills in 2018 after helping lead Alabama to its 17th national championship in 2017. He was the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach that season.

Daboll has 20 years of NFL coaching experience. He spent 11 seasons with the New England Patriots (2000-06, 2013-16) in a variety of roles and helped the franchise win five Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX and LI). Daboll has been an offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Miami Dolphins (2011) and Chiefs (2012). He was also the Jets' quarterbacks coach in 2007-08.

Prior to entering the NFL, Daboll spent one year (1997) as a volunteer assistant at the College of William & Mary – where he first met Bills coach Sean McDermott – before serving two seasons (1998-99) as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban at Michigan State.

A 1997 graduate of the University of Rochester, Daboll was a two-year starter for the YellowJackets at safety.

A native of West Seneca, N.Y., he attended St. Francis High School. He and his wife, Beth, have six children: Mark, Christian, Aiden, Haven, Avery and Luke.

View photos from the coaching career of Brian Daboll.

Dan Quinn

Current Position: Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator

Interview Date: January 24

A New Jersey native whose stint as the Atlanta Falcons' coach included a trip to Super Bowl LI, Quinn spent the 2021 season as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, who won the NFC East title with a 12-5 record. Dallas allowed 21.1 points a game, the NFL's seventh-lowest figure. The Cowboys were second in third-down defense, allowing conversions on just 34.1% of their opportunities (76 of 223). Dallas had league-high totals of 34 takeaways and 26 interceptions, significant improvements after posting 23 takeaways and 10 picks in 2020, the year prior to Quinn's arrival.

Two of Quinn's defenders were selected to the Pro Bowl. Linebacker Micah Parsons led all rookies with 13.0 sacks, and cornerback Trevon Diggs topped the NFL with 11 interceptions.

Quinn, 51, was named head coach of the Falcons in February 2015. In just over five seasons, he led Atlanta to a 43-42 regular season record plus a 3-2 mark in two postseason appearances. In 2016, the Falcons went 11-5, won the NFC South and defeated Seattle and Green Bay to win the conference title before losing to New England in the Super Bowl.

The following season, the 10-6 Falcons defeated the Rams in a wild card game on the road before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles in Philadelphia. In his time as head coach, Quinn's defenses ranked sixth in the league by forcing 105 turnovers. He was dismissed five games into the 2020 season.

Quinn earned his first head coaching opportunity with his work as the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator in 2013-14, when the team made consecutive Super Bowl appearances, winning once. Over those two seasons, Quinn's defense led the NFL by allowing the lowest per-game averages in total yards (270.4), passing yards (178.8) and points (15.2) while limiting opposing offenses to just 91.6 rushing yards-per-game.

In those two seasons, the Seahawks' defense paced the league with 63 takeaways – including an NFL-best 39 in 2013 - and 28 interceptions.

Quinn originally joined Seattle in 2009 as the assistant head coach/defensive line coach under Jim Mora. He made his NFL coaching debut in San Francisco as a defensive assistant in 2001 before spending six years coaching the defensive lines for the 49ers (2003-04), Miami Dolphins (2005-06) and Jets (2007-08). Between his stints with the Seahawks, Quinn served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Florida (2011-12), guiding the defense to a top-10 finish in 2011 - eighth in total defense (299.5 yards a game) and seventh in passing defense (166.8).

Quinn got his start coaching the defensive line at William & Mary (1994), then spent one season at Virginia Military Institute (1995) followed by a four-year stint as defensive line coach at Hofstra (1996-99) before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2000.

Quinn was a four-year letter winner and two-time co-captain (1992-93) defensive lineman at Salisbury State (Division III in Salisbury, Md.), where he recorded 139 career tackles. Quinn also lettered in track and field and held the school record in the hammer throw. He was inducted into the Salisbury State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

Quinn is originally from Morristown, N.J. and is a graduate of Morristown High School. He and his wife, Stacey, started Quinn's Corps in 2004 which helps serve members of the military both at home and abroad.