The worst-kept secret in professional football is no longer a secret. Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is the head coach of the New York Giants.
The deal was agreed upon weeks ago, but could not become official until the Vikings ended their playoff run, which came in an NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
“I want to thank John Mara and Steve Tisch for giving me the opportunity to be the head coach of the New York Giants,” said Shurmur. “I am looking forward to getting to work with Dave Gettleman and Kevin Abrams and starting the process to once again build a championship team. I have been fortunate to work with many great coaches and players, and I am thankful for those relationships. I would like to thank my family and friends for their tremendous support.”
This will be Shurmur's second stint as an NFL head coach. He compiled a 9-23 mark as head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2012-13; the Browns have since won a total of 15 games in the four seasons since firing Shurmur.
He'll take over another franchise in need of a reboot. The Giants went 3-13 this fall and own the second pick in this spring's draft.
“I can’t wait to start working with Pat,” said GM Dave Gettleman, himself a new hire to the Giants organization. “I know he will provide the type of leadership we need to take our team back to where it belongs. I have followed Pat’s career for many years, and he has had great success wherever he has been. What struck me during our conversation is that being the head coach of the New York Giants is not too big for him. He is made for this moment and this opportunity.”
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.