General Manager Dave Gettleman said the Giants hired Pat Shurmur because he’s an “adult.” He used the word more than once, as a matter of fact.
It appeared to be a subtle shot at former coach Ben McAdoo.
“I really believe the head coach job for the New York Football Giants is a job for an adult, and Pat is every bit of that,” Gettleman said, via Calvin Watkins of Newsday. “I’m just real excited. We’ve had some great conversations, and he’s got a great sense of humor and I’m just excited about where we’re going.”
Shurmur has plenty of experience as an assistant coach and spent two seasons as head coach in Cleveland, where his 9-23 record doesn’t seem so bad anymore. Gettleman said he nearly hired Shurmur for the Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2013 before Carolina went with Mike Shula.
After interviewing six candidates this time, Gettleman put Shurmur at the top of the list.
At 52 and with previous head coaching experience, Shurmur isn’t the up-and-coming, young coach some teams were seeking. That’s exactly what appealed to Gettleman.
“He’s an adult,” Gettleman said. “He’s mature. He’s got wisdom. He’s very even-keeled and his demeanor really pays off. I’ve watched him on the sidelines. He doesn’t get shook. He doesn’t get rattled. This is a job for a grownup. We’re halfway through the interview, and I wrote down in my notes, ‘This is an adult.’ Everybody wants the next wiz-bang kid. Let me tell you something: You look at history and see how that’s worked out. This is a veteran, seasoned professional football coach.”