Report expands on issues between Giants' Brian Daboll, coaching assistants

For a piece published on Thursday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN expanded on behind-the-scenes issues involving New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, former defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale, current New York offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and other assistants that impacted the club throughout last season.

"Sources close to the situation said that Martindale, along with several other coaches on both sides of the ball, had grown tired of Daboll's frequent outbursts," Raanan explained. "Daboll's staff felt he'd stopped listening and there was constant 'finger-pointing'" amid what became New York's 6-11 season.

It's now hardly a secret that Martindale resigned in January after Daboll fired outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins, two close friends of Martindale.

Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson were also shown the door following the campaign, while several other assistants left the organization for different jobs.

"We were all trying to get out of there," one non-defensive coach told ESPN. A different coach mentioned that Daboll's alleged "madman" demeanor on gamedays made it "hard to think."

Giants general manager Joe Schoen began listening to communications between coaches via a headset beginning in Week 11. A non-defensive coach told Raanan that "Dabes' demeanor was totally different" when it was known that Schoen was monitoring the situation.

While Martindale is no longer in the Giants' building, the franchise blocked the Seattle Seahawks from interviewing Kafka regarding Seattle's offensive coordinator job before New York elevated him to the role of assistant head coach. However, Daboll seemingly has replaced Kafka as the club's primary offensive play-caller.

"It's almost like a make-up present," one NFL executive said about Kafka's promotion coming with reduced in-game responsibilities.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic noted earlier this month that Daboll had fewer "eruptions" during workouts open to the media this spring.

Logic suggests Daboll understands that Giants co-owner John Mara could go in a different direction this coming January if the team endures another losing season and Bill Belichick remains interested in returning to where he first made his name as an assistant and a defensive coordinator from 1979 through the 1990 campaign.