Why it was important for Giants to promote, retain Mike Kafka

Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

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The New York Giants did just about everything they could to keep offensive coordinator Mike Kafka around the Meadowlands a little while longer. It worked. 

The team announced on Wednesday that they promoted Kafka to assistant head coach — a role he’ll take on while continuing his duties as offensive coordinator for the 2024 season. 

It’s a move that shuts the door on any chance of the 36-year-old jumping ship. There was heavy interest looming from the Seattle Seahawks, who interviewed him for their vacant head-coaching role after parting ways with Pete Carroll. 

This has already been a season of significant transition for head coach Brian Daboll’s staff, which suggested that things were not kosher within his ranks following a 6-11 campaign.

Of course, that notion was fueled by a messy split with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who stormed out of MetLife Stadium following a reported profanity-laden tirade after Daboll fired his two top defensive assistants. The duo’s relationship had suffered throughout the 2023 season with cracks along the foundation being reported as early as Thanksgiving. 

Martindale’s departure, though, was a part of a mass exodus of Giants coaches. Running backs coach Jeff Nixon, strength and conditioning coordinator Craig Fitzgerald, and tight ends coach Andy Bischoff resigned — the latter to take a job with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, and defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins all were fired.

Those positions have since been filled, most notably with former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen taking over for Martindale.

Keeping Kafka, though, was important — not just for the sake of continuity, which is now as foreign a concept as ever within the Giants’ coaching ranks. 

In what is expected to be Daniel Jones’ last shot at…