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New York Giants News: Mike Smith, Hue Jackson Set To Interview Monday

By Kenneth Teape

Dec 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith smiles during the third quarter of their game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith smiles during the third quarter of their game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Giants News: The Giants list of candidates to replace Tom Coughlin will grow Monday when they will interview Hue Jackson and Mike Smith.

The New York Giants offseason was expected to be a busy one after consecutive 6-10 seasons and a four straight year without a playoff appearance. It got a little more busy when Tom Coughlin resigned as head coach the Monday following the conclusion of the season. That will add a lot to the Giants plate, as they will now conduct a number of interviews to find the next person worthy of leading their team.

They will add to that list Monday, as they have two more candidates ready to interview. They will have in Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson in, as his team was eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday night. In addition, the Giants will also interview former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith.

Jackson has been a hot name in the coaching carousel, as the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers reportedly covet him. There is a chance that he does not get to interview with the Giants, because one of those teams may give him an offfer before then according to Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated.

Smith will be interviewing with the Giants according to Ebenezer Samuel of New York Daily News. Smith had some success with the Falcons, making the playoffs in four of his first five seasons at the helm despite being a first time head coach. But, he didn’t find much success once there, winning only one playoff game. The Falcons also struggled his last two seasons there, as they won only 10 games.

Jackson and Smith will be joining a long list of candidates, as the Giants have cast a pretty wide net to fill their head coaching void. They have already been busy at work interviewing a number of candidates.

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Both of their coordinators, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, interviewed last week. Of the two, McAdoo probably has the better chance of being hired. He is someone the Giants have a lot of confidence in, as some players such as Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. have already voiced their opinion about McAdoo taking over.  Also, Spagnuolo bombed in his opportunity as the St. Louis Rams head coach, and has a very spotty track record outside of leading a defense led by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora during the GIants 2007 Super Bowl run.

In addition to their coordinators, the Giants also interviewed Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. He has been the defensive coordinator for the Lions the last two seasons and has become a very popular candidate in recent seasons. The Giants also interviewed Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator Adam Gase last Friday, but he has since accepted the job with the Miami Dolphins.

In addition, the Giants also interviewed Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line coach Doug Marrone over the weekend. Marrone famously quit on the Buffalo Bills after the 2014 season, using a loophole in his contract. He was unable to find another head coaching job, instead landing with the Jacksonville Jaguars as their assistant head coach/offensive line coach.

Marrone should not be seriously considered, and it is a shock that he is still looked upon so highly after what he did with the Bills. Also, his work with the Jaguars offensive line was not very strong. The team improved overall, but his offensive line was not one of those areas.

Next: Osi Umenyiora's Top 5 Moments With Giants

With five interviews already in the books, and two more planned for today, the Giants are well into the process of finding Coughlin’s successor. None of these options will really excite the fan base, as none carry the same presence or name power that Coughlin did. The only candidates that have that are sitting in studios on Sunday and Monday now no longer on the sideline. Sean Payton would have been a strong hire, but he will be returning to the New Orleans Saints, leaving the Giants with some less than inspiring candidates.

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