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01-19-2007, 09:20 PM
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| Gilbride Named Offensive Coordinator of the Giants EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Kevin Gilbride's two-game stint as the Giants’ play-caller earned him a fulltime promotion. “Based on that performance it became clear to me that he is deserving of the role of offensive coordinator. The good thing is that he has worked hand-in-hand with Eli (Manning), and Eli and the offensive team will welcome this announcement." -Coach Tom Coughlin Head coach Tom Coughlin today named Gilbride as the team’s new offensive coordinator. Gilbride was the team’s quarterbacks coach the previous three seasons. He assumed play-calling duties from former coordinator John Hufnagel prior to the regular season finale in Washington. The Giants scored 34 points – their second-highest total of the season – and gained 355 yards (261 on the ground) in a victory over the Redskins that virtually clinched a playoff berth. Gilbride again called the plays the following week in a 23-20 loss to Philadelphia in an NFC Wild Card Game. “It was an opportunity for Kevin to demonstrate his leadership skills, and I thought he did a good job,” Coughlin said. “Based on that performance it became clear to me that he is deserving of the role of offensive coordinator. The good thing is that he has worked hand-in-hand with Eli (Manning), and Eli and the offensive team will welcome this announcement. “I made the decision to create a spark and I think a spark was created. I think the offense – the players and the coaches - rallied around Kevin and certainly gave evidence that this was something that they are most excited about continuing.” Although it was only two games, Gilbride relished the chance to call the plays after almost three full seasons in more of a supporting role. “I certainly enjoyed the last two weeks,” Gilbride said. “I was able to envision a game unfolding the way I had always done it and anticipating how it would go and being able to think through what the responses would be as the defensive coordinator on the other sideline made the adjustments to our approach. It was an exciting time for me to be able to get back into it from that standpoint. “I certainly enjoyed my interaction with the quarterbacks, Eli in particular. And that won’t go away. But overseeing it and just being a contributor are two different roles. And I enjoy the one where you’re overseeing the entire operation and you’re the guy that ultimately is responsible for the success and failure of your offensive unit.” Gilbride, 55, called plays for Coughlin when they were together with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995-96. “The flavor of play-calling many times is the ability to do the unexpected,” Coughlin said. “I think Kevin does that well. We had a third-and-10 when we ran a draw down in Washington. It did not succeed. But there was a draw on a third-and-10 in the Seattle-Chicago (divisional playoff) that scored a touchdown. One of the tricks in play-calling is obviously to do the unexpected. “Also, the belief in balance is ingrained. Philosophically, we’re both on the same page that way.” Coughlin said the offense will not change radically under Gilbride. “It’s the New York Giants’ system,” he said. “And the New York Giants’ system has tremendous flexibility.” “Essentially, it will be the same,” Gilbride said. “But hopefully we will do a better job of implementing it and instructing it with the players and getting them to execute better.” But both coaches clearly anticipate significant improvements under the new coordinator. “I expect the ball to go down the field more than it did this year,” Coughlin said. “There are two things. One, we didn’t score enough points. Two, our big-play production was not what it was a year ago. Those two things have to come back up. It was been discussed and I’m confident we can regain that stature.” “Certainly we have to throw the ball better than we did this year,” Gilbride said. “That was an area where we were not as productive as we think we can be. You get Luke Petitgout and Amani Tomer back and that helps. But we have to be a little more efficient throwing the ball down the field, getting Jeremy Shockey involved down the field, getting other players involved and having them earn the trust and the confidence of the quarterback – besides Plaxico (Burress), who was pretty much our individual deep threat.” Gilbride will benefit from the return of Petigout and Toomer (who each missed approximately half the season with injuries), but he will not have Tiki Barber. The franchise’s career rushing leader – who led the Giants in rushing yards in every game the last five seasons – has not wavered from his decision to retire. “It’s certainly a challenge, but that’s what makes the job so exciting and one that gets your juices flowing,” Gilbride said. “You know you’re losing a great football player and a great leader and a guy you could depend on week-in and week-out to be a consistent performer. We have some young guys we think can come in and do a good job - Brandon Jacobs, most obviously, and also Derrick Ward. We’re sure we’re going to add to that mix somebody else in the draft and through free agency. But it won’t be the same as having Tiki. He left a tremendous hole. But we think we have some pretty good football players. Maybe the approach won’t be exactly the same, because their style of running will not be the exact same as his. But we think we can put together a pretty good running attack.” Coughlin said he will hire a new quarterbacks coach. Hufnagel left the organization shortly after the change to Gilbride was made. Gilbride has a long and impressive resume; the 2007 season will be his 33rd as a football coach and his 18th in the National Football League. This is the fifth time Gilbride will be an offensive coordinator in the NFL. He previously held the position with the Houston Oilers from 1990-93, the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars (when Coughlin was the head coach) in 1995-96, the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1999-2000 and the Buffalo Bills in 2002-2003. Gilbride has been successful coaching both run and pass-oriented attacks. Gilbride was the head coach of the San Diego Chargers in 1997 and the first six games of the 1998 season. Coughlin was reunited with Gilbride when he brought him to the Giants on Jan. 26, 2004. “One of the reasons I was very interested in bringing Kevin here when we came in 2004 was because Kevin had worked with me in the start-up operation in Jacksonville,” Coughlin said. “We’ve had an opportunity to work with each other. He knew exactly what I wanted in terms of coaching responsibility, the discipline of the position, etc. “I had an opportunity to experience him not only as a coordinator, but as a play-caller on Sundays. I was always very impressed with that part of his game. I think he’s an excellent teacher. He’s articulate. He’s blunt, but when he makes corrections it’s encouraging rather than deflating. That’s been a positive.” Immediately prior to joining the Giants, Gilbride had a highly-successful two-year stint with the Bills. In his first season in Buffalo, the Bills set seven offensive team records, including most net passing yards (3,995). Quarterback Drew Bledsoe set 10 team records. That year, Buffalo had the fifth-best passing offense in the NFL and was 11th overall while averaging 23.7 points, 22.2 first downs, and 349.4 yards per game. That offense featured the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passer in Bledsoe, two 1,200-yard receivers (Eric Moulds and Peerless Price) and a 1,400-yard rusher (Travis Henry). Gilbride entered the NFL as the Oilers’ quarterbacks coach in 1989. He was promoted to offensive coordinator the following year and to assistant head coach/offense in 1994. The Oilers ranked first in the NFL in passing yards every season from 1990 through 1993. Houston also ranked first in the league in total offense in 1990, second in 1991, third in 1992 and second in 1993. Under Gilbride’s tutelage, Warren Moon became one of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history. In those four seasons, Moon averaged 3,846 passing yards and threw 95 touchdown passes – despite missing seven games with injuries. When Moon was enshrined last summer into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he invited Gilbride to attend the induction ceremony. Gilbride first coached under Coughlin in 1995, when he took over as the offensive coordinator of the expansion Jaguars. The following year, Jacksonville led the NFL with 259.7 passing yards per game and was second in total offense with 360.2 yards per contest. Most importantly, the offense helped carry the Jaguars to a surprise berth in the AFC Championship Game in just their second year of existence. After two years in Jacksonville, Gilbride was named the 10th head coach in San Diego Chargers history on Jan. 19, 1997. He posted a 6-16 record over the course of the 1997-98 seasons. Gilbride joined the Steelers in 1999 and during his two years in Pittsburgh, the team ranked 10th and then fourth in the NFL in rushing, averaging 124.4 and then 140.5 yards per game. With Gilbride calling the plays, Jerome Bettis rushed for 1,091 yards in 1999 and 1,341 yards in 2000. In 2001, Gilbride was an analyst with ESPN. Prior to joining the NFL, Gilbride spent two seasons (1985-86) in the Canadian Football League as an assistant with the Ottawa Rough Riders. Gilbride began his career as the linebackers coach at Idaho State in 1974-75. He held the same position at Tufts University in 1976-77. Gilbride was the defensive coordinator at American International and the head coach at his alma mater, Southern Connecticut State University, from 1980-84. Gilbride was born on Aug. 27, 1951 in New Haven, Conn., and earned a degree in physical education from Southern Connecticut State, where he also played quarterback and tight end. He received his master’s in athletic administration from Idaho State. He and his wife, Deborah, have three children - daughters Kelly and Kristen and son, Kevin. Kelly is a 1998 graduate of Harvard University, Kristen graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1999, and Kevin graduated from the University of Hawaii in 2003. | ||||||||||||||
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01-19-2007, 10:12 PM
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| I guess this is good for them, but they have much more problems than offensive coordinator too....as in head coach | ||||||||||||||
| "I didn't lose my mind, I sold it on Ebay!"  | |||||||||||||||
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01-19-2007, 11:38 PM
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| He'll do better I hope...hopefully help their offense out a bit and get Eli up to the standards he really should be at... | ||||||||||||||
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01-19-2007, 11:55 PM
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| You really can't bass his work on last season because their offense was full of injuries and not running right. He did do a find job though in my eyes. I think will the offense healthy he will do better but by losing Tiki his job might become difficult. Time will tell if this guy can really handle the NFL game. | ||||||||||||||
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