High-level Giants organizational meetings are ongoing, and after offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride retired on Thursday, no additional coaching moves will be made until next week.
But more moves are expected, with quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan a possible target. Special teams coordinator Tom Quinn could also be a casualty of his unit’s up-and-down performance. The wide receivers had a rough year and the effectiveness of assistant Kevin M. Gilbride — the son of the former offensive coordinator — also will be a topic of discussion. After all, the day after the 7-9 season ended, co-owner John Mara declared the offense was “broken’’ and vowed to make the changes needed to fix it.
“I would hope that the entire organization senses what John Mara said the other day, and everybody’s up on their toes,” Coughlin said Friday on WFAN. “Do we have to change things? Sure. We’ve got to get some things back in perspective and in order and start doing things with the execution and the efficiency that we’ve had here. And I believe we can do it.”
Coughlin on Friday insisted Gilbride, 62, was not forced out or nudged into retirement. Gilbride had a year on his contract, which the Giants will pay, though they are not obligated to do so.
“To think that there’s any one individual who is responsible for the circumstances that we found ourselves in, that’s crazy,” Coughlin said. “Kevin Gilbride is an excellent football coach, he’s an excellent teacher and communicator. His players do respond to him. He works very, very hard at his trade. He has made his mark on this organization.”
Mara questioned why it took so long for receiver Jerrel Jernigan — who in the last two games caught 12 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a 49-yard TD — to get on the field. Coughlin would not blame any of his assistants for the slow development of the third-year player.
Coughlin said he “saw a completely different young man late in the season’’ and mentioned Jernigan’s fumbling problems and many injuries as reasons for his lack of playing time.
Coughlin said he could not explain why Hakeem Nicks did not have any touchdown catches this season.
“We’ll all scratch our heads over that one,’’ he said.
Coughlin said he wants Justin Pugh to gain 10-12 pounds this offseason to get in the 315-318 range and he could possibly move from right to left tackle.
“He literally can go anywhere,’’ Coughlin said.
There might be a need for a new left tackle, as Will Beatty fractured his right leg in the season-ending 20-6 victory over Washington. Beatty was hurt when he leaped to prevent an interception by deflecting away a tipped Curtis Painter pass before he was hit by Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who was fined $7,875 for striking Beatty in the head on the play.