The New York Giants have decided to retain head coach Brian Daboll for the 2025 season, and he has opted to keep offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen in their roles. However, the coaching staff will see some changes after a disappointing 3-14 season in 2024. Some staff members departed for the New England Patriots, while Daboll made his own adjustments, parting ways with defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and safeties coach Michael Treier.
To strengthen the defensive staff, the Giants brought in Marquand Manuel as the new defensive backs coach and recently hired Jeff Burris as the assistant defensive backs/cornerbacks coach, according to Jordan Schultz. Burris previously served as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Louisiana Tech, marking his second stint with the program. His coaching career also includes time as the cornerbacks coach at Louisiana from 2018 to 2020 and a previous role with the Miami Dolphins as an assistant defensive backs coach from 2013 to 2015, overlapping with Giants general manager Joe Schoen during Schoen’s tenure in Miami’s front office.
A former first-round pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, Burris played cornerback for a decade with the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals before transitioning into coaching. His post-playing career included stops at UMass, Northern Iowa, and Notre Dame, along with time in the UFL with the Sacramento Mountain Lions.
Burris will be tasked with improving a Giants secondary that struggled in 2024, recording only five interceptions all season. While rookie slot corner Dru Phillips impressed, first-round pick Deonte Banks had difficulties on the outside, and the team lacked consistency at the second cornerback spot. Working under defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, Burris faces the challenge of boosting the unit’s performance in 2025—something his experience as a player and coach could help achieve.
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