A Shur thing: New York Giants have their coach in Pat Shurmur

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Pat Shurmur likely coached his last game as OC of Vikings with expectation he will be the next head coach of the Giants. Art Stapleton/NorthJersey.com

The waiting game is over: Pat Shurmur is the new head coach of the New York Giants.

The Giants officially announced Shurmur as the 18th coach in franchise history.

Shurmur, 52, has 19 years of NFL coaching experience and previously served two years as head coach of the Browns in 2011 and 2012 with a 9-23 record. He was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings for much of last season and this past season, helping them reach the NFC Championship Game before losing Sunday night to the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-7.

His introductory news conference is scheduled for Friday in East Rutherford.

Shurmur had hoped to get back to North Jersey Monday night for introduction Tuesday, but inclement weather forced a change in plans. He will be in Mobile, Alabama, for the Senior Bowl beginning Tuesday through Thursday.

“I want to thank [co-owners] John Mara and Steve Tisch for giving me the opportunity to be the head coach of the New York Giants,” Shurmur said in a statement released by the team. “I am looking forward to getting to work with [general manager] Dave Gettleman and [assistant GM] Kevin Abrams and starting the process to once again build a championship team. I have been fortunate to work with many great coaches and players, and I am thankful for those relationships. I would like to thank my family and friends for their tremendous support.”

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Shurmur was one of six candidates to interview for the job with the Giants, who fired Ben McAdoo on Dec. 4. Steve Spagnuolo, the Giants’ defensive coordinator the last three seasons, served as interim head coach over the final four games. He was interviewed for the full-time position. Other candidates to interview with the Giants were Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and former Broncos assistant head coach and running backs coach Eric Studesville.

Studesville has been hired by the Dolphins as their running backs coach.

McDaniels and Patricia are expected to be the head coaches of the Colts and Lions following Super Bowl LII, while Wilks was named head coach of the Cardinals on Monday.

Of Shurmur, Mara and Tisch said in a statement: "“We are pleased to welcome Pat to our organization and look forward to the leadership he will provide for our team. He has an outstanding track record in developing young players, and it is clear his players respond to his guidance and direction. We interviewed six talented and qualified candidates, and we feel like Pat, with his vision and experience, is the right person to lead our team.”

“I can’t wait to start working with Pat,” Gettleman added. “I know he will provide the type of leadership we need to take our team back to where it belongs. I have followed Pat’s career for many years, and he has had great success wherever he has been. What struck me during our conversation is that being the head coach of the New York Giants is not too big for him. He is made for this moment and this opportunity.”

Shurmur is expected to hit the ground running by assembling his coaching staff. Former Jaguars and Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio is a strong candidate to become defensive coordinator, a source indicated to The Record and NorthJersey.com.

Former Panthers special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey will likely serve in a similar role with the Giants, for whom he was an assistant coach on Tom Coughlin's staff from 2007-10.

One of the biggest topics on Shurmur's agenda will be to address the status of quarterback Eli Manning, who met with Giants general manager Dave Gettleman on Jan. 12 to discuss his future with the team. ESPN reported on Sunday that Gettleman’s preference is to keep Manning on the team with two years remaining on his contract. That would not guarantee Manning as the starter for the entirety of the 2018 season.

With the second overall pick in the upcoming draft and Shurmur’s reputation as a quarterback "whisperer," the Giants could invest in the position three months from now.

It's believed that Shurmur will support Gettleman's suggestion from his introductory news conference that the Giants want Manning here, at least for the immediate future.

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Pat Shurmur

Age: 52.

Hometown: Dearborn Heights, Mich.

College: Michigan State.

College coaching experience: Was a graduate assistant for two years at Michigan State before joining the staff full-time, working with the tight ends, the offensive line and special teams from 1990-97. He then spent one year as the offensive line coach at Stanford before moving to the professional ranks.

NFL experience: 19 years working for four different franchises (Eagles, Rams, Browns, Vikings), including a two-year stint as head coach of the Browns. He most recently served as offensive coordinator of the Vikings. Shurmur has been a part of teams that have qualified for the playoffs nine times, won seven division titles, and advanced to one Super Bowl.

Personal: Wife is Jennifer. They have four children: daughters Allyson, Erica and Claire, and a son, Kyle, who is a quarterback at Vanderbilt.