New York Giants' coaching staff has 3 veteran coordinators
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Three experienced coordinators, including two with ties to new general manager Dave Gettleman, have been added to Pat Shurmur's coaching staff with the New York Giants.
The hirings were announced Thursday, although most had been widely known in recent weeks.
The offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, Shurmur was hired on Jan. 22 to rebuild the Giants after a disastrous 3-13 season. Coach Ben McAdoo fired in early December after less than two years on the job.
Mike Shula will be the offensive coordinator and work with the quarterbacks. James Bettcher is the defensive coordinator, while Thomas McGaughey will lead the special teams.
Shula and McGaughey worked with Gettleman in Carolina. Both were fired after last season, having served the past five and two years, respectively, as coordinators. Bettcher spent the last five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, the final three as defensive coordinator.
Also on the staff are receiver coach Tyke Tolbert, offensive line coach Hal Hunter, tight ends coach Lunda Wells, assistant offensive line coach Ben Wilkerson, defensive line coach Gary Emanuel, defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo, assistant defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, assistant linebackers coach Rob Leonard and special teams coach Anthony Blevins special teams assistant coach.
Shurmur also retained running back coach Craig Johnson, linebacker coach Bill McGovern, offensive assistant Ryan Roeder and defensive assistant Bobby Blick. They're joined by strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman, strength and conditioning assistant coach Markus Paul, performance manager Joe Danos and director of performance nutrition Pratik Patel.
"Some of the coaches I have a history with, some were on previous staffs here, and other coaches are guys I've known through the profession," Shurmur said. "I took a good look at some of the coaches that were here, and we certainly wanted to make sure that some of the really fine coaches that were in the building a year ago had an opportunity to stay."