Mike Smith wasn't a hot name on the NFL head coaching circuit this offseason, but that doesn't mean the former Atlanta Falcons boss didn't come close to landing a job as the leader of an NFL franchise. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the New York Giants gave "serious consideration" to naming Smith their next head coach. Once the rival Philadelphia Eagles began showing interest in offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo as a head coaching candidate though, the Giants and GM Jerry Reese felt like they had to pull the trigger to ensure they kept McAdoo in Big Blue.
Interestingly, Schefter reports that the Giants weren't actually sold on McAdoo's readiness to become a head coach, noting that they felt he needed "more seasoning," but that they wound up rolling with him out of fear of McAdoo landing a head coaching gig elsewhere, ie; Philly.
McAdoo has done wonders with Giants quarterback Eli Manning over the last few seasons, helping the two-time Super Bowl-winner to become a more efficient, consistent passer. But McAdoo has also never been a head coach at any level. The continuity he'll afford Manning and the Giants offense is important, but it remains to be seen whether he has what it takes to lead a full NFL team.
As for Smith, his time in Atlanta was marked by consistent regular season success and ultimate playoff failure. Despite leading the Falcons to two first place and three second place finishes in the NFC South and four playoff berths, Smith's seven-year tenure with Atlanta ended after 2014 without a single postseason victory. He was recently named the defensive coordinator for Dirk Koetter's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For the Giants, Smith wouldn't have been a sexy hire and if they had somehow been able to retain McAdoo as offensive coordinator, likely would have been viewed by many as a kind of placeholder until McAdoo proved ready to take over.
But with the Eagles sniffing around McAdoo and reportedly high on him as their next head coach, the Giants and Reese clearly felt like they had to act quickly to keep their rising star from flying the coop.
