All along, the Giants were intrigued with Pat Shurmur’s résumé, but they needed to sit down and speak with him to really learn what they needed to know.
After traveling to Bloomington, Minn., on Jan. 6 for an interview with Shurmur, the Giants’ decision-makers were impressed with what they heard and sensed and came to the conclusion he was worthy of becoming the 18th head coach in franchise history. Nine days later, it looks as if that will indeed be the case, and the Giants will land one of their top three choices to direct their team’s fortunes on the field.
Various reports Monday — confirmed by The Post — stated Shurmur wants to come to the Giants, which does not come as a great surprise. The Giants knew the Cardinals had serious interest in Shumur but the feeling all along from the Giants was they could get Shurmur once they made up their minds to do so.
This was in contrast to Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who was also very high on the Giants list. The Giants believed from the start of the process Patricia was headed to the Lions to reunite with Bob Quinn, a longtime Patriots executive. Contrary to any erroneous reports, Patricia was never the favorite to land the Giants’ job.
With the Vikings, in stunning, last-second fashion, defeating the Saints 29-24 in an NFC divisional playoff game over the weekend, the Giants knew they could not meet again with Shumur until after this Sunday’s NFC Championship game, at the earliest, and that was not going to work. Co-owner John Mara, general manager Dave Gettleman and assistant general manager Kevin Abrams attended the first interview with Shurmur. Co-owner Steve Tisch, who was out of the country at the time, had a one-hour phone conversation with Shurmur.
The Giants, though, were not prepared to wait this one out and hope for the best, not prepared to see Patricia, Shurmur or Josh McDaniels — their top three candidates — possibly go elsewhere. And so, they are making a move to secure Shurmur, although no official agreement can be reached and no contract can be negotiated until after the Vikings are done playing.
The Giants will offer Shurmur the job when they are allowed to do so and Shurmur is expected to accept.
The NFL has a tampering rule in place prohibiting teams from hiring a coach involved in the playoffs. The rule states, “No contract shall be executed, and no agreement to execute a contract, or an announcement of a contract or of an agreement for employment, shall be permitted until after the conclusion of the employer club’s playing season.”
Mara will abide by that rule, but Mara also gave the go-ahead Monday to make it clear, one way or another, to Shurmur’s camp the Giants want him and want to make it unofficially official. A tacit agreement can be worked out for the Giants to secure Shurmur.
The Giants were high on McDaniels, but never got the sense he was extremely high on them. He is likely to end up in Indianapolis at the Colts’ head coach.
This news appears to be pleasing to Odell Beckham Jr., the star receiver coming off surgery to repair a fractured ankle. Beckham retweeted an announcement of the impending Shurmur hire and posted an endorsement: “God really works in mysterious ways … let the journey begin … I’m geeeked.’’
While this is will not be a “splash’’ hire — Patricia and especially McDaniels are the trendier picks — Shurmur has a strong NFL pedigree and a history of making offenses he orchestrates and quarterbacks he tutors better.
The 52-year-old Shurmur is a former NFL head coach (with the Browns in 2011 and 2012, going 9-23) and is a longtime NFL coordinator — two lines Mara wanted to see on the résumé of the next head coach.
A Giants source describes Shurmur as “solid.’’ Reports about him out of Minnesota are glowing.
The Giants noticed how Case Keenum flourished under Shurmur’s tutelage and anticipate his work with quarterbacks and offensive football as a boon to Eli Manning and possibly a rookie quarterback the Giants might select with the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft. In his 19-year NFL coaching career, Shurmur has been with teams that have qualified for the playoffs nine times.
Shurmur called the Hail Mary play — called “Buffalo Right 7 Heaven’’ — that propelled the Vikings past the Saints with a miracle walk-off touchdown. A day later, he was in position to become a head coach once again. The Giants hope the magic follows Shurmur to his next destination.