Brian Daboll Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Brian Daboll has hired the leaders of his New York Giants staff, selecting a young offensive coordinator and an NFL veteran for the defense while retaining the coach who has run special teams since 2018.
Daboll announced Friday that Mike Kafka is the new offensive coordinator and Don “Wink” Martindale will run the defense. Thomas McGaughey is back for a fifth straight season as special teams coordinator.
Daboll was hired by the Giants late last month to rebuild a team that has had five straight double-digit losing seasons, the last a 4-13 mark under the fired Joe Judge.
The hiring quickly became controversial when fired Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a federal lawsuit against the NFL, the Giants and two other teams for alleged racist hiring practices.
In the suit, Flores, who is Black, alleged the Giants interviewed him when they had already promised the job to Daboll. He maintained the interview was held so the Giants could meet the requirements of the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which mandates two interviews be given to minority candidates from outside the organization for opening coaching and management positions.
The Giants have denied the allegation.
Kafka spent five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, the final two as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator for Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
It’s uncertain whether Kafka, 34, will call the plays. Daboll, who was the Bills’ offensive coordinator, indicated he wanted to do that but new general manager Joe Schoen hoped he wouldn’t.
RAMS: Los Angeles offensive tackle Joe Noteboom and tight end Tyler Higbee were placed on injured reserve on Friday and will not be able to play in the Super Bowl on Sunday against Cincinnati.
The move was expected for Higbee, who hasn’t practiced since being injured in the NFC title game. Noteboom practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday and Thursday, but was a non-participant on Friday.
There were no setbacks for running back Darrell Henderson and defensive linemen Sebastian Joseph-Day. Rams Coach Sean McVay said both will be activated from IR.
“They’ll be ready to go,” the coach added.
SEAHAWKS: Seattle is continuing the overhaul of its coaching staff with the expected hiring of Sean Desai and Karl Scott as key defensive assistants, and a parting with veteran offensive line coach Mike Solari, according to a person with knowledge of the moves.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday on the condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the moves. NFL Network first reported the moves and said Desai will be Seattle’s associate head coach.
Both Desai and Scott are expected to have significant influence in a remake on the defensive side for Seattle. The Seahawks let go of defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis after the season. Defensive line coach Clint Hurtt will reportedly be elevated to take over as defensive coordinator.
SUPER BOWL OFFICIALS: Ron Torbert, a 12-year veteran NFL official who has been a referee since 2014, will handle his first Super Bowl on Sunday.
Torbert, 58, a Harvard Law School graduate and former lawyer, will be the third Black referee for a Super Bowl. Mike Carey did the game in 2008 and Jerome Boger in 2013. Torbert was a back judge and side judge for four seasons before being elevated to referee.
Assignments for the postseason are given through a league grading system used throughout the regular season.
“I’ve been preparing for this moment for more than 30 years,” he said. “I didn’t always know that’s what I was doing, but every game I worked, every clinic, every training camp and practice that I’ve been a part of, every moment at the gym, every training and scouting video that I’ve ever watched, has helped me get ready for this game.”
Joining Torbert will be umpire Bryan Neale, down judge Derick Bowers, line judge Carl Johnson, field judge Rick Patterson, side judge Keith Washington, back judge Scott Helverson, replay official Roddy Ames, and replay assistant Sean McKee.
COIN TOSS: Billie Jean King will be joined by team captains of the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, members of the high school girls’ flag league of champions and girls youth tackle football players from the Inglewood Chargers and Watts Rams for the Super Bowl coin toss.
The NFL will be recognizing the 50-year anniversary of Title IX enacted in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments which, for the first time, provided equal funding for men and women at high schools, colleges and universities that received federal funding.
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