New York Giants’ Joe Judge names new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham his assistant head coach ahead of the 2020 season.
This past Sunday, the New York Giants hired Patrick Graham to be their new defensive coordinator. The 40-year-old will now attempt to right the wrongs brought on by former coordinator James Bettcher.
That won’t be the only role Grahm will reside in though. On Tuesday, it was reported that Joe Judge will also be naming Graham his assistant head coach.
Graham, who was the Giants defensive line coach from 2016-17, seems to have a great relationship with Judge. The two of them were on the same New England Patriots staff from 2012-15. Judge served as the special teams assistant/coordinator during that span while Graham was the defensive line and linebackers coach.
Graham left in 2016 to join the Giants for two seasons and then went on to work for the Green Bay Packers. This past year, Graham was the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. This upcoming season will be just his second year working in that role.
Fans, along with the Giants organization, are hoping 2020 goes smoother than Graham’s stint in Miami did. The Dolphins were one of the worst teams in football this year, and their defense was a big reason for that.
The Giants have a young defense that lacks talent in some areas. Needless to say, they need a coordinator who can fix their issues and possess a good relationship with their youngsters.
Apparently, Graham was Judge’s first choice for the defensive coordinator position. The fact that he was also eager to name him his assistant head coach may be encouraging. Judge clearly has a great deal of respect for Graham and trusts him to lead this defense moving forward.