Not only is Mike Kafka staying with the Giants, he has received a promotion.
In addition to Kafka’s duties as the offensive coordinator, he has added assistant head coach to his job description.
Clearly, head coach Brian Daboll is pleased with the work Kafka has done the past two seasons.
Two other coaches on Daboll’s staff also received promotions.
Quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney had offensive passing game coordinator added to his responsibilities, and Jerome Henderson, the defensive backs coach, is now also the defensive passing game coordinator.
The final two vacancies on Daboll’s staff were filled, with Charlie Bullen named the outside linebackers coach and Zak Kuhr as the new defensive assistant.
Kafka and Daboll had never worked together before he came to the Giants. He spent five years on Andy Reid’s staff with the Chiefs, and Daboll handed Kafka the play-calling duties, a career first for Kafka.
The Giants and head coach Brian Daboll (l.) have promoted offensive coordinator Mike Kafka (r.) by adding assistant head coach to his job description. Robert Sabo for the NY PostKafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ head coaching position that went to Mike Macdonald, but he made enough of an impression that Seattle wanted to interview him for their offensive coordinator job — the Giants blocked them from doing so.
These promotions show that Kafka, Tierney and Henderson are valued members of Daboll’s staff.
Teams will add titles to assistants as a way to add responsibilities and also provide financial rewards. It remains to be seen if Kafka will call the plays on offense in 2024.
He handled those game-day duties the past two seasons, but with the offense struggling in 2023, Daboll got more involved in the play-calling — though he did not take it away from Kafka.
After the season, Daboll was noncommittal on what he will do with the play-calling moving forward.
For Tierney, this is a bump up, adding to his role as a position coach. Henderson is one of the most popular coaches in the building, and his work in particular with first-round pick Deonte Banks was exemplary.
Mike Kafka coaching the West team in the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1, 2024. APDaboll this week hired Shane Bowen as the Giants’ new defensive coordinator. Bowen ran the Titans defense the past three years.
Other newly hired coaches are Tim Kelly (tight ends), Michael Ghobrial (special teams coordinator), Carmen Bricillo (offensive line) and Joel Thomas (running backs).
Bullen comes to the Giants from the University of Illinois. He previously spent 11 years in the NFL, including four years with the Cardinals.
Kuhr was most recently with the Titans and thus he worked with Bowen.





