Cowboys Ex Coach Fired by Giants in Major Staff Move

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has been given a final opportunity to bring the team back to relevance. He's officially used that second chance to make his first major move of the offseason.

On Wednesday, New York fired defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and safeties coach Michael Treier, per Mike Garafalo.

The decision to reshape the secondary is unexpected, but not unwarranted. Despite rumors that defensive coordinator Shane Bowen could be headed to the New England Patriots – or simply fired for leading an underperforming unit – he's expected to return in 2025.

He'll likely play a heavy role in revamping the defensive staff.

The Giants finished 29th in both expected points added per dropback and dropback success rate as the unit was routinely carved up by opposing passers.

Henderson came into the spotlight during the middle of the season when second-year corner Deonte Banks made a handful of plays that had fans and analysts questioning his effort. Henderson was visibly upset on the field and spoke about the situation with the media, and Banks was briefly benched.

Henderson developed a fine reputation during his time coaching the defensive backs with the Dallas Cowboys.

Banks didn't take the step forward New York needed from him in 2024. He was asked to take on star receivers for much of the season, and while he flashed against Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf, things got ugly in coverage. Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb all found the end zone against him.

Still, Henderson wasn't fired for one player's struggles. Rookie nickel corner Dru Phillips exceeded expectations and the Giants dealt with endless injuries on the back end – both reasons to consider keeping the coach around.

Meanwhile, Treier will hope to use his time with New York to land another NFL job. The Giants were his first team after making the jump from Marshall, a stark contrast to Henderson, who has been a coach since 2007 for the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and Atlanta Falcons before New York.

It isn't immediately clear who the Giants will target, but the secondary must be better. With a first-round pick and both 2024 Day 2 selections invested in the unit, complementing a strong pass rush will be imperative in 2025. New York has invested too heavily into the secondary for it to crash and burn in consecutive seasons.