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SPORTS Tuesday 5 december 2017
Reeling Giants fire coach McAdoo, GM Reese after 10th loss

By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)
— Believing the team was
spiraling out of control, the
New York Giants went out
of character by making
two major in-season moves,
firing coach Ben McAdoo
and general manager Jer-
ry Reese.
With the team reeling at
2-10 in a season where most
felt it was capable of chal-
lenging for a Super Bowl,
co-owners John Mara and
Steve Tisch reached the
decision Monday morning.
It came less than a day af-
ter the Giants lost in Oak-
land, with quarterback Eli
Manning benched and the
offensively inept team per-
forming poorly again.
“We agreed that whole-
sale changes to this organi-
zation needed to be made
to get us back to the team
we expect it to be,” Mara
said at a hastily called
news conference. “We
also agreed it was pointless New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo, second from left, talks with quarterback Geno Smith, center, Eli Manning, right, and
to wait any longer to make Davis Webb, left, during the first half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017.
these changes.” Associated Press
Defensive coordinator McAdoo also would have “This has been the perfect forced to address the mat- ing about why prolong it
Steve Spagnuolo will take been subjected to howls storm this season,” Mara ter the following day and any longer?” Mara said
over as interim coach for from fans with three of the said. “Everything that could said he wished the decision Monday. “Why not just get
the final four games. He final four games at home, have gone wrong this sea- had been handled better. it done now?”
coached the St. Louis Rams starting this weekend. son has gone wrong.” McAdoo had a 13-16 re- The Giants hired McAdoo
from 2009-11. The moves come less than Assistant general manager cord, and his firing is the first away from Green Bay
Mara did not know wheth- a year after the 40-year- Kevin Abrams will take over midseason head coach- in 2014 to serve as Tom
er Manning will return as old McAdoo ended a four- on an interim basis for Re- ing move by the Giants Coughlin’s offensive coor-
the starter this weekend year Giants playoff drought ese, who became GM in since Bill Arnsparger was dinator. He was elevated
against Dallas, saying the in his first season, going 11- 2007 and had two Super replaced seven games into to head coach on Jan. 14,
decision will be made by 6. That record was aided in Bowl wins on his resume. But the 1976 season by John 2016, less than two weeks
Spagnuolo. large part by Reese’s out- the Giants missed the play- McVay. The 2-10 mark is after Coughlin was forced
Mara said neither McAdoo standing work in the free offs four times in the last five the Giants’ worst since they out after missing the play-
nor Reese was surprised by agent market that rebuilt years, and his failure to ad- were 2-10 in 1976, and their offs for the fourth straight
the decision, saying they the defense. dress those offensive line worst since the advent of season.
were both professionals. He While the 2016 season end- problems this past offsea- the 16-game schedule in McAdoo’s first season was
said his meeting with Reese ed in a loss to Green Bay son played a major role in 1978. exceptional. His second
was more emotional be- in the wild-card game, this a horrible season. With the losses, word start- was a fiasco.
cause the two had worked year was supposed to be Mara said Abrams and ed to emerge that McAdoo “Our team is not good
together since 1994. better. Much better. Spagnuolo will be offered was losing the team. His enough,” Mara said.q
“I don’t think there was The offense was bolstered the chance to continue in one-game suspensions of
any one final straw,” Mara by signing free agent wide their interim jobs. Former popular cornerbacks Dom-
said. “I just think that where receiver Brandon Marshall general manager Ernie Ac- inique Rodgers-Cromartie
we are as a franchise right and drafting tight end Evan corsi will be a consultant and Janoris Jenkins height-
now, you know, we’re 2-10. Engram in the first round. in hiring a new GM, whom ened the problem.
We’ve kind of been spiral- The defense was back with Mara wants in place be- Mara and Tisch came to
ing out of control. I just felt the major exception of de- fore a coach. McAdoo’s defense after
like we needed a com- fensive tackle Johnathan Mara has candidates in an embarrassing loss to the
plete overhaul. I don’t think Hankins. mind for general manager then-winless 49ers on Nov.
there was any one event or A fifth Super Bowl was in ev- and said it’s possible a new 12, saying his job was safe
one final act to precipitate eryone’s sights if the offen- GM could be in place be- until the end of the season.
that.” sive line could improve. fore the season ends. “To be honest with you, it
Many felt the benching It fizzled from the start. The The moves came less than became more and more
earlier last week of the well- Giants lost their first five a week after McAdoo apparent that we were
liked Manning, the face of games. The line was inept. made one of the biggest going to have to do some-
the franchise and a two- The defense underper- mistakes of his short tenure, thing at the end of the sea-
time Super Bowl MVP, was formed, then the injury bug mishandling the decision to son, so we talked after the
the deciding factor. decimated the roster. bench Manning. Mara was game and again this morn-