Art Stapleton | NFL writer

Art Stapleton, Staff Writer, @art_stapleton

Joe Judge is going to have a lot on his plate as the new head coach of the New York Giants, and it would be no surprise if he had already gotten to work even before his hiring was finalized and officially announced by the organization Wednesday.

“I am humbled and honored,” Judge said in a statement released by the Giants. “I want to thank John Mara, Steve Tisch, Dave Gettleman and Kevin Abrams for this opportunity. Over the past couple of days we had great conversations about where this team is and where it is headed and how we are going to get there. My job is to lead our players and coaches. The mission is clear, to win games. There is a process to reaching that objective, and we will implement that process and work that process starting today.”

Judge's introductory news conference will be 2 p.m. Thursday inside the Coaches Club at MetLife Stadium. That's a change from their last two coaching hires, who were introduced in the auditorium across the parking lot at the team's training facility.

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"He knows what winning looks like and should look like," Giants co-owner and team president John Mara said. "His exposure and experience in New England and Alabama have helped shape his philosophy of building a winning program and culture. We are thankful that he has accepted the responsibility to lead our team.”

Judge, 38, interviewed Monday with Mara, general manager Dave Gettleman and vice president of football operations Kevin Abrams in East Rutherford. Then he met with Giants co-owner Steve Tisch on Tuesday morning in Providence, R.I.

“We had a great conversation, and Joe articulated his vision of leadership and team building,” Tisch said. “He clearly learned some valuable lessons in both those areas while working with Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. He is an impressive young leader, and as we said last week, he will have the full support of ownership to get us where we want to be.”

There will be speculation as to whom will join Judge with Big Blue on his coaching staff, both as coordinators and position coaches. Those decisions will help shape his first year on the job, and considering that was one of the knocks on the staff of fired coach Pat Shurmur this past season, especially on game days, you can bet the building of Judge's team within the team is going to be taken very seriously.

So what should we expect? Here is a look at how things may shake out with a few names we would suggest as strong candidates:

Bill Callahan

If there is one coach I would hire if I were Judge right now, it'd be Callahan. He's one of the best offensive line coaches in recent NFL history, and Judge has seen the importance of that first-hand during his tenure in New England with the impact of Dante Scarnecchia, who could make a case for inclusion in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Callahan has been a head coach in the league, most recently on an interim basis in Washington this past season. He's plenty familiar with the NFC East. He's coached in New York with the Jets. If he could get Ereck Flowers to become a serviceable player at guard this past year, what do you think Callahan can do for Will Hernandez?

Give Callahan an additional title of assistant head coach. The 63-year-old is not a threatening presence for the 38-year-old Judge, and his value would be immense.

If the Giants could not lure Callahan, other offensive line coaches to consider: former Notre Dame coach Harry Heistand - three of the five current All-Pro linemen were coached by him in South Bend - and Dave Deguglielmo, who has coached with the Giants, Jets and Patriots, overlapping Judge there for two years.

And here's one more with news that Mike McCarthy would not be retaining his services in Dallas: how about Marc Columbo, who certainly is no slouch, even if he has had plenty of talent to work with since becoming the Cowboys' line coach?

Offensive coordinator

How Judge attacks the positions with direct responsibility of continuing the development of Daniel Jones will be paramount to his success. There is the belief that the Giants should go with a veteran here, but I'm not attached either way. Names like Jason Garrett and Jim Caldwell have been floated about. Here are two candidates I would consider:

Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi: He has spent plenty of time with Sean Payton and actually called plays when he was the OC for Jim Caldwell in Detroit, albeit to less-than-desirable results, but that was as much a fit with Matthew Stafford as anything else. Yes, Lombardi is the grandson of Vince Lombardi, in case you were wondering.

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49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur: The brother of Packers coach Matt, LaFleur might not have all the responsibilities within Kyle Shanahan's offense, but he's a rising star.

There is also the possibility that, for the sake of continuity with Jones, Judge could retain Mike Shula as offensive coordinator with an up-and-comer at QB coach. Together, they can rebuild the offensive playbook in the style of what Judge wants. Shula did not call plays with the Giants, but he does have experience on that front.

Quarterbacks coach

Pat Shurmur did not have a quarterbacks coach, in some ways because he and Shula shared those duties. Offensive assistant Ryan Roeder also worked with the position. It's possible Judge turns to Chad O'Shea, with whom he worked in New England, for the OC spot. O'Shea went with Brian Flores to Miami, but was fired at season's end, reportedly in part because of the complexities of the offense.

Running backs coach

Joe Moorhead was recently fired as head coach at Mississippi State, Judge's alma mater. And had the Giants' offer not come along, it was believed Judge would have replaced Moorhead there. Moorhead is a good coach and spent time as the OC at Penn State where his star player and the centerpiece of his offense was someone named Saquon Barkley. With his resume, Moorhead could be a candidate for any spot on the offensive staff.

Wide receivers coach

Tyke Tolbert did a good job with the receivers under Shurmur and he deserves to stay. Give him credit for how Darius Slayton matured as a rookie and the position itself was hit with a ton of injuries, not to mention the suspension at the start of the year for Golden Tate.

Tight ends coach

As with Tolbert, Lunda Wells is a teacher at his position. He's coached offensive line and found a home with the tight ends. Consider the injuries that hit his position, the growth of Kaden Smith and the weapon Evan Engram was when he was healthy, and Wells can be an asset to Judge's staff.

Defensive coordinator

The Giants could go veteran here with someone like Wade Phillips, who recently parted ways with the Rams. That's instant credibility. Judge could look to New England and bring an assistant such as Jerod Mayo, who coached the linebackers with the Pats. One candidate I'd strongly consider is Kris Richard, who interviewed for the Giants' head coaching job last week. He was there for the maturation of the Legion of Boom in Seattle, and could be exactly what the younger players in this secondary needs.

ESPN's Jordan Raanan mentioned Patriots defensive line coach Bret Bielema as a possible candidate and that makes a ton of sense as well.

Defensive line

It's time to bring former Giants great Pepper Johnson home. Put him in the room with the talent at this position, and let him go to work with Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence, B.J. Hill and - presumably - Leonard Williams. This makes too much sense, especially given his Patriots' roots as well.

Linebackers

This position is interesting, especially if Mayo is the DC. Mike Dawson did a good job in his first season with the Giants last year, so he could be viewed as a potential keeper working with the talent on the edge. Johnson could slot here as well. One candidate I'd keep an eye on is former Giants assistant Al Holcomb, who has gotten caught up in two bad coaching situations each of the last two seasons since leaving Carolina when the staffs in Arizona and Cleveland were dismantled after one losing season.

Defensive backs

Long Island native Mike Pellegrino is young, so this might be a spot where you'd pair him with a more veteran coach. But if you hire Richard as DC, you can get away with someone to relate to the younger players on the roster. The 26-year-old was at the helm of one of the best positions in New England this past season. Not bad for a former lacrosse player.

Special teams coordinator

I'd keep Thomas McGaughey on here in this spot. You'd think his ideas could mesh with Judge, and McGaughey is respected by his players in all facets. He deserves credit for Aldrick Rosas' Pro Bowl campaign two years ago, and for sticking by him through the struggles of this season. Also, Riley Dixon earned a contract extension under his watch. His coverage teams have also been solid.