Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has been hired as the New York Giants head coach.
The Giants announced the hiring late Monday afternoon
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Vikings were beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game.
The 52-year-old Shurmur replaces Ben McAdoo, who was fired in early December with the team mired with a 2-10 record and owners and fans upset with his
handling of the benching of two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo took over for the final four games and posted a 1-3 record.
”He has an outstanding track record in developing young players, and it is clear his players respond to his guidance and direction,” co-owners John Mara
and Steve Tisch said in a statement.
”We interviewed six talented and qualified candidates, and we feel like Pat, with his vision and experience, is the right person to lead our team.”
The Giants won’t officially introduce Shurmur until Friday. A winter storm in the Midwest is preventing him from coming to New Jersey on Tuesday and he will
be at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, from Tuesday night through
Thursday.
Shurmur returns to the head coaching ranks for the first time since leading the Cleveland Browns in 2011-12. He takes over a troubled team that posted a
3-13 record a year after making the playoffs.
Shurmur was interviewed on Jan. 6 by Mara, new general manager Dave Gettleman and assistant GM Kevin Abrams.
Following that meeting in Minneapolis, Shurmur had an hour-long phone conversation with Tisch.
”I can’t wait to start working with Pat,” said Gettleman. ”I know he will provide the type of leadership we need to take our team back to where it
belongs. I have followed Pat’s career for many years, and he has had great
success wherever he has been.
”What struck me during our conversation is that being the head coach of the New York Giants is not too big for him. He is made for this moment and this
opportunity.”
The Giants interviewed five other candidates, kicking it off with Spagnuolo three days after the season ended.
New York also spoke with New England coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and recently fired Broncos
running backs coach Eric Studesville, who has since been hired as a running
backs coach by the Dolphins. Wilks was hired as the head coach in Arizona on
Monday
Shurmur has earned a reputation as a quarterback whisperer. NFC title game opponents Nick Foles of the Eagles and Case Keenum of the Vikings were tutored
by him.
With the Giants, Shurmur will get to work with Manning and possibly the No. 2 pick in the draft, if New York uses the pick to pick an heir apparent.
But the Giants also had problems in the locker room. Three defensive backs – Janoris
Jenkins
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suspended for a game for conduct detrimental to the team.
Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen said Shurmur constantly put players in position to contribute and he doesn’t take anything for granted.
”He’s not a stubborn guy. He’s going to throw stuff out if it’s not working, and he’s going to find things that guys are good at,” Thielen said Monday as the
Vikings cleaned out their lockers.
”So I think as a head coach, he’s going to do that on both sides of the ball. Special teams, he’s going to find guys who can make plays and let them do what
they do. So I think he’s going to have a lot of success as a head coach.”
Shurmur has been a part of teams that have qualified for the playoffs nine times and won seven division titles. He was Philadelphia’s quarterbacks coach
when the Eagles played in the Super Bowl against New England in the 2004
season.
Shurmur is finishing his second year with the Vikings. He began last 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), 11th in total yardage (356.9), and seventh in rushing yardage (122.3) this season.
Shurmur posted a 9-23 record in his two seasons with the Browns, going there after a two-year stint as the offensive coordinator with the Rams. He spent
three seasons as the Eagles offensive coordinator after being fired.
Shurmur’s NFL coaching career began with a 10-year run (1999-2008) in Philadelphia. He coached in college at Stanford and Michigan State.
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Associated Press Writer Doug Glass and AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
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Here’s a look at what’s happening around the majors today:
RECOVERING ACE
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw goes for his first win in 2 1/2 months when he faces Pittsburgh in the middle game of the teams’ three-game series in Los
Angeles. Kershaw (1-4, 2.84 ERA) has no decisions with a 2.77 ERA in three
starts since going on the disabled list in early May with biceps tendinitis. He
returned to start against Philadelphia on May 31, but then went right back on
the DL with a lower back injury. Kershaw, whose only win this season was against
Arizona on April 15, gave up one run and four hits with no walks and six
strikeouts in five innings against Chicago in his second start back last
Thursday.
REALMUTO ON A ROLL
Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto looks to get a base hit in his 11th straight game as Miami continues its interleague series against Tampa Bay. He is 15 for
42 (.357 average) with two homers and 10 RBIs over his last 10 contests, a
stretch broken up by him sitting out four straight games last week. Realmuto is
hitting .311 with 11 homers and 36 RBIs on the season.
BIEBERMANIA
Cleveland rookie right-hander Shane Bieber looks to remain unbeaten as he faces the struggling Royals. The 23-year-old is 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA in four
starts since making his major league debut against Minnesota on May 31. Kansas
City has lost 23 of its last 28 games and is tied with Baltimore for the most
losses in the majors with 54. The Royals have scored four runs or fewer in 23 of
their last 24 games.
THROWING SIX
Michael Fulmer (3-7, 4.20 ERA) tries to extend the Detroit’s streak of starters working at least six innings to seven games in the opener of a two-game
series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Tigers‘ current stretch of sidx
straight is the team’s longest since last July 28 to Aug. 2.
STRUGGLING
Chris Davis looks to keep up his recent hitting surge as the Baltimore Orioles open a two-game series at Philadelphia. Davis is 5 for 20 with two
homers and four RBIs in his last five games. Since sitting out a stretch of 10
of 12 games last month to try to snap out a season-long hitting funk, he is 7
for 38 with three HRs and nine RBIs over the last 10 games. That has improved
his totals to a .156 average with seven homers and 24 RBIs while striking out 99
times.
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