NFC East news: All The Three Division Foes Are Hired by..
NFC East news: New coordinators likely to be hired by all three division foes
The Giants didn’t look far when hiring their newest coordinator.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Giants’ new special teams coordinator won’t need a tutorial on the unpredictable winds in MetLife Stadium.
Michael Ghobrial, who spent the previous three seasons as an assistant on the Jets’ staff, has been hired as the Giants’ new coordinator.
Ghobrial, who will turn 36 on Feb. 9, was a special teams coordinator on the collegiate level for five seasons before joining the Jets. He replaces Thomas McGaughey, who was dismissed on Jan. 8 after six seasons as the Giants’ coordinator.
With the Jets, Ghobrial coached under coordinator Brant Boyer and fellow assistant Leon Washington as the team fielded one of the NFL’s best special teams units.
In 2023, the Jets’ kickoff coverage led the league by allowing an average of just 15.3 yards a return. Their opponents’ 40.4-yard net punting average ranked seventh in the NFL. Kicker Greg Zuerlein made 35 of 38 field goal attempts, including five-of-six from 50+ yards, a .921 percentage, and scored 120 pounds. Rookie Xavier Gipson was second in the league with a 23.2-yard kickoff return average and tied for 12th with a 9.7-yard punt return average, including a game-winning 65-yard touchdown in the season opener vs. Buffalo. Ashtyn Davis was among the league leaders with 12 special teams tackles (nine solo) and forced and recovered a fumble.
The previous season, special teams captain Justin Hardee was selected to his first Pro Bowl after posting a career-high 14 tackles. He became just the sixth Jets special teamer to be selected to the Pro Bowl since 1970 and the only core special teamer. Two of the six were chosen during Ghobrial’s tenure. Zuerlein kicked three of the four longest field goals in franchise history and became one of four Jets to convert multiple field goals of 55+ yards as a Jet.
In 2021, the Jets were the only team in the league to finish in the top five in both kickoff and punt return average that season. Wide receiver/return specialist Braxton Berrios was selected as an All-Pro after he led the NFL in kickoff return average and finished second in punt return average.