Giants co-owner addresses antics, personality of HC Brian Daboll

New York Giants co-owner John Mara spoke with reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Monday and admitted he'd like head coach Brian Daboll to "tone it down a little bit" following events that occurred during and after the 2023 season. 

"But I’m also in the team meetings, and I see how he acts around his coaches in the office," Mara continued, per Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "And he always maintains his cool there. Does he get excitable during the games sometimes? Yeah. So do I. But I don’t think it’s a major issue. I don’t think it affects the culture that we have in the building at all." 

Daboll accepted his job with the Giants in January 2022 and earned Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year honors after he guided the club to the playoffs in his first season. However, the 2023 Giants were largely a disaster, finishing with a record of 6-11, and it's since been reported that Daboll's alleged "madman" demeanor on gamedays annoyed assistants like former defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale and current offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. 

"I still very firmly believe that Brian is the right guy for us going forward," Mara insisted. "I want him to be himself at the end of the day. If I get to the point where I think he’s acting irrationally and it’s affecting his performance, I certainly would have a word with him. I have not seen that." 

It was first said in late November that Martindale and Daboll were in a "bad place," and Martindale reportedly cursed Daboll out after the head coach fired outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and his brother, defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins, following Week 18 of the season. The Giants and Martindale "mutually agreed to part ways" on Jan. 10. 

Additionally, Kafka seemingly wanted to leave the Giants and speak with clubs such as the Seattle Seahawks about offensive coordinator openings this winter. New York blocked such discussions from occurring but added assistant head coach duties to Kafka's role.

Mara acknowledged on Monday that the Daboll-Martindale relationship "absolutely" did "blow up" in the final days of what became an ugly divorce. 

"But I never felt like it was a big issue during the season at all," Mara said. "I wish it would’ve ended differently. I happen to like Wink. I’m sorry it happened that way, but we all move on." 

Mara has little choice but to publicly back his head coach, but such comments may not make Daboll's seat any cooler considering that former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick could welcome a Giants homecoming in 2025. Belichick earned his first two of eight career Super Bowl rings while serving as an assistant and as defensive coordinator with the Giants from 1979 through the 1990 season.