Joe Schoen is getting a second chance.
The Giants announced Monday that Schoen will remain as general manager and “lead the search for a new head coach” after Brian Daboll was fired.
It’s a bold choice by Giants ownership considering that Schoen hired Daboll and is just as responsible for the Giants’ 20-40-1 record.
The feeling in the building is that the Giants are more talented right now than their 2-8 record, as backed up by blowing double-digit leads in four road losses.
But Schoen’s record also includes major draft whiffs – 2022 first-rounder Evan Neal, 2023 first-rounder Deonte Banks and 2023 third-rounder Jalin Hyatt at the top of a list that could stretch to disappointing second-round starters John Michael Schmitz and Tyler Nubin – that forced significant free-agent spending.
Schoen also made the mistakes to re-sign Daniel Jones and let Saquon Barkley, Julian Love, Xavier McKinney and others walk out the door. There is internal frustration that all those players and others have gone on to have their best years elsewhere, though that could be a coaching issue.
It will be interesting whether Schoen is seen as an asset or a deterrent in the coaching search, especially if the Giants are looking for an experienced CEO who want input into the roster.
Former GM Dave Gettleman was seen around the league as a deterrent during the 2020 search that turned up Joe Judge and the possibility of keeping Judge was seen as a deterrent to GM candidates in 2022.
The well-traveled Schoen has a wide network around the league, but his mishandling of the Barkley situation as reported step-by-step by The Post and painted for the world on HBO’s “Hard Kocks” did him no favors with those not in his circle.
The Giants announced Schoen’s fate despite a 2-8 start that could spiral into 2-15 as to not have that question hanging over the organization.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
