Brian Daboll has faced his share of criticism during the last year, but now the head coach of the New York Giants is taking barbs for how he sits during an interview.
Daboll was branded a “slob” by X user and Audacy Sports’ “You Better You Bet” host Nick Kostos after footage emerged of the coach interviewing rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.
The clip was played on the latest episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” on Max, which aired on Tuesday, July 23. Kostos wasn’t impressed, asking “Does Brian Daboll have to act like such a slob? Interviewing Rome Odunze with his feet on the table is such a bad look for a leader. Grow up and be a professional, dude.”
As criticism goes, this is a little out there. Sure, Daboll may not have adopted the most business-like stance for an important question and answer session.
Yet, it’s equally true his laid-back demeanour could be taken as a smart method for putting young players at ease. Creating a relaxed environment can coax better, more informative answers from an interviewee.
Either way, this isn’t the first time Daboll’s method of communicating has been called into question. It’s a reminder of the pressure suddenly faced by a 49-year-old who was the darling of the coaching community not too long ago.
Hard Knocks Moment Keeps Focus on Brian Daboll
Coaching style became a sore point for Daboll during a trying second season at the helm for Big Blue. He was the NFL’s Coach of the Year after leading the Giants to an unlikely playoff berth and postseason victory in 2022, but Daboll appeared to unravel along with his team during a tepid, 6-11 follow-up campaign.
How Daboll dealt with players and communicated with his assistant coaches became recurring issues. A fiery sideline exchange with quarterback Daniel Jones went viral in Week 4, while Daboll’s apparent spat with now former defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale played out publicly.
The Martindale mess raised questions about how Daboll interacts with non-playing personnel. As the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz explained, “it could be that he needs to display a lighter touch with his staff.”
Daboll’s mannerisms have become more of a point of focus as losses have mounted. Ultimately though, the losing will only be reversed by better talent on the field.
That’s what Daboll was searching for when he sat down with Odunze. A search that ended with a new playmaker for a pedestrian passing game.
Giants Receiver Search Ended Well
The Giants were determined to leave the draft with at least one gifted new pass-catcher. So much so, general manager Joe Schoen even had a trade set up to snag either Odunze or another top prospect.
Fortunately, the Giants secured their prime target when Malik Nabers heard his name called as the sixth-overall pick. Nabers can have a transformative effect thanks to his multi-layered play speed, strong hands and natural versatility.
Many of those qualities have shown up amid exciting work from the Giants’ top pick this offseason. Like this impressive catch.
Daboll needs more of this from Nabers once the games that matter get underway. It’s a pivotal third season for the coach, who can expect intense scrutiny of his every action, but few will care how Daboll sits for an interview if the Giants are winning.
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