Sports

Giants Officially Name Pat Shurmur Head Coach

January 22, 2018 / 5:59 PM EST / CBS New York

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- It's official: Pat Shurmur is the new head coach of the New York Giants.

The Giants announced the hiring of the former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator on Monday evening.

"We are pleased to welcome Pat to our organization and look forward to the leadership he will provide for our team," Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said in a news release. "He has an outstanding track record in developing young players, and it is clear his players respond to his guidance and direction. 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."

ESPN's Adam Schefter said Shurmur's contract is for five years.

"I want to thank John Mara and Steve Tisch for giving me the opportunity to be the head coach of the New York Giants," Shurmur said. "I am looking forward to getting to work with Dave Gettleman and Kevin Abrams and starting the process to once again build a championship team. I have been fortunate to work with many great coaches and players, and I am thankful for those relationships. I would like to thank my family and friends for their tremendous support."

Shurmur has reportedly been the Giants' pick for the past week, but league rules prevented the team from negotiating with him until after the Vikings' season had concluded. Minnesota lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 38-7 on Sunday in the NFC championship game.

The Vikings promoted Shurmur from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator midway through the 2016 season.

MORE: Pat Shurmur Wins NFL Assistant Coach Of The Year

Shurmur was the Cleveland Browns' head coach from 2011-12, going 9-23. His background also includes serving as the offensive coordinator for the Eagles and St. Louis Rams.

New York also spoke with interim head coach Spagnuolo, 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. The Arizona Cardinals hired Wilks on Monday, the Detroit Lions are expected to hire Patricia, and McDaniels is believed to be the front-runner for the Indianapolis Colts' opening.

Shurmur was interviewed by the Giants on Jan. 6. He 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, he would get to work with Eli Manning and possibly the second pick in the NFL draft, if New York uses the pick to select an heir apparent. But the Giants also had problems in the locker room. Three defensive backs -- Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple -- were suspended for a game each for conduct detrimental to the team.

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 replaces Ben McAdoo, who was fired when the Giants started the season 2-10. Spagnuolo took over for the final four games.

Even before his hiring was official, there had been reports about which assistant coaches he might target for his staff. ESPN reported Sunday that recently fired Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has emerged as the front-runner for defensive coordinator.

Del Rio, 54, has extensive experience. In addition to also serving as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach for nine years, he has been the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. In four seasons as a defensive coordinator, he has led top-five units three times.

Thomas McGaughey, most recently the Panthers' special teams coordinator, is expected to be hired for the same role with the Giants, according to The Charlotte Observer and The Sporting News.