One of the most interesting coaching searches of the offseason finally came to an end Monday when the Giants decided to hire Pat Shurmur.
However, the only reason Shurmur got the job is because the Giants' first choice, Matt Patricia, apparently turned them down. As recently as Jan. 10, it was reported by multiple outlets that the Giants had decided that Patricia was the perfect man for the job after interviewing a total of six candidates, including Shurmur, Josh McDaniels, Steve Wilks, Eric Studesville and Giants interim coach Steve Spagnuolo.
So what happened between Jan. 10 and Jan. 22 and why did Patricia end up picking the Lions' job over the Giants' opening? Apparently, he didn't want his first stint as a head coach to take place in the media fishbowl of New York.
According to the New York Post, people who work with Patricia got the impression that he didn't want to take such a "high-profile job" and that they thought he would be a better fit in Detroit or Arizona. Although Patricia hasn't been officially hired by the Lions, it's pretty clear that he's going to be taking over in Detroit after the Super Bowl, and if it wasn't clear before, it definitely became clear this week when he reportedly decided to let several assistants go.
By the way, the fact that someone would pick the Lions' coaching job over the one in New York was apparently a shock to the Giants' front office. According to the New York Daily News, there was "discontent" within the organization after Patricia turned them down.
Of course, one thing the Lions have that the Giants don't, is Bob Quinn. Before being hired as the general manager in Detroit in 2016, Quinn spent a total of 16 seasons with the Patriots (2000-15). Quinn and Patricia are highly familiar with each other after spending 12 years together in New England.
It's also possible that Patricia just liked the Lions job better. Not only were the Giants a total circus last season, but they're also at a crossroads with their franchise quarterback, Eli Manning. In Detroit, the Lions are coming off two playoff appearances in the past four seasons and it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see Patricia find immediate success in the Motor City.
