NY Giants "Special Teams" Reconstruction 2024

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Though it wasn't broadcast in the headlines of news stories, the Giants' ST squad was poor the last few seasons. Fans knew it, but it was a side-note in the news. Apparently, judging by the changes, Schoen decided to fix it...knock on wood

Some of the changes I've noticed:

- Fired STC Thomas McGaughey and hired new STC Michael Ghobrial

- Resigned Gunner Olszewski (and true to his name, is a "gunner") who was our best gunner on STs since the retirement of David Tyree. Olszewski is also our punt returner, but that could change after the addition of WR/RB Tracy in the draft

- Signed Miles Boykin, one of the best gunners in the NFL...but as you know, we need two gunners, one on each side of the field

- Signed former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, on a cheap 1-yr contract. Should promote competition at the punt return spot between him and Olszewski (and probably Tracy)

- Resigned Carter Coughlin, our best STs player who led the team with nine tackles last season and has earned a reputation as a hard hitter https://www.giants.com/video/carter-coughlin-s-hit-stick-tackle-ends-patriot-kick-return-giants-vs-patriots-h

- Drafted shifty Tyrone Tracy as a RB, but is targeted to also be a returner who could be especially effective under the new kickoff rules

- Bryce Ford-Wheaton has spent the year and off-season practicing to make the STs squad as a "jammer" and possibly a "gunner"...he is apparently taking STs very seriously

- Drafted Darius Muasau who is known to be a special teams ace and an "unrelenting" attacker. He also played for our new STC Ghobrial. He is said to be an extremely hard hitter and a "film rat"

- hopefully, Graham Gano is back and in top shape as our place kicker

- Jamie Gillan "the Scottish Hammer" made impressive improvement last season and should be in even better shape this coming season

I'm sure there are other behind the scenes changes being made, but it certainly appears that Schoen and Daboll have not ignored the problem of the "Third Team", for which we have sucked, and have taken it very seriously to upgrade across the board. I suspect the biggest change is probably putting in a whole new system designed by our new STC Ghobrial

 

[H-Town G-Fan]

Though it wasn't broadcast in the headlines of news stories, the Giants' ST squad was poor the last few seasons. Fans knew it, but it was a side-note in the news. Apparently, judging by the changes, Schoen decided to fix it...knock on wood

Some of the changes I've noticed:

- Fired STC Thomas McGaughey and hired new STC Michael Ghobrial

- Resigned Gunner Olszewski (and true to his name, is a "gunner") who was our best gunner on STs since the retirement of David Tyree. Olszewski is also our punt returner, but that could change after the addition of WR/RB Tracy in the draft

- Signed Miles Boykin, one of the best gunners in the NFL...but as you know, we need two gunners, one on each side of the field

- Signed former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, on a cheap 1-yr contract. Should promote competition at the punt return spot between him and Olszewski (and probably Tracy)

- Resigned Carter Coughlin, our best STs player who led the team with nine tackles last season and has earned a reputation as a hard hitter https://www.giants.com/video/carter-coughlin-s-hit-stick-tackle-ends-patriot-kick-return-giants-vs-patriots-h

- Drafted shifty Tyrone Tracy as a RB, but is targeted to also be a returner who could be especially effective under the new kickoff rules

- Bryce Ford-Wheaton has spent the year and off-season practicing to make the STs squad as a "jammer" and possibly a "gunner"...he is apparently taking STs very seriously

- Drafted Darius Muasau who is known to be a special teams ace and an "unrelenting" attacker. He also played for our new STC Ghobrial. He is said to be an extremely hard hitter and a "film rat"

- hopefully, Graham Gano is back and in top shape as our place kicker

- Jamie Gillan "the Scottish Hammer" made impressive improvement last season and should be in even better shape this coming season

I'm sure there are other behind the scenes changes being made, but it certainly appears that Schoen and Daboll have not ignored the problem of the "Third Team", for which we have sucked, and have taken it very seriously to upgrade across the board. I suspect the biggest change is probably putting in a whole new system designed by our new STC Ghobrial

 

Thanks Jolly. But just would note that Bryce Ford-Wheaton tore his ACL in the 2023 preseason back in August, so he's been recovering. I haven't read anything about him getting back on the field yet.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Thanks Jolly. But just would note that Bryce Ford-Wheaton tore his ACL in the 2023 preseason back in August, so he's been recovering. I haven't read anything about him getting back on the field yet.

Thanks for pointing that out as I forgot about that. The story I read was about his desire to become a great STs player while hoping to get a shot at WR in the future. Story must've been old - my bad 

[MightyGiants]

No doubt the Giants added talent to their ST unit.  I have never been that impressed with Thomas McGaughey as a special teams coordinator.  I don't think he was bad, but he seemed to be unimpressive.  In terms of a replacement, I am not sure if the Giants ST Coordinator or the Assistant Coordinator has the better resume.




Michael Ghobrial, who spent the previous three seasons as an assistant on the Jets' staff, has been hired as the Giants' new coordinator.

Ghobrial, who will turn 36 on Feb. 9, was a special teams coordinator on the collegiate level for five seasons before joining the Jets. He replaces Thomas McGaughey, who was dismissed on Jan. 8 after six seasons as the Giants' coordinator.

With the Jets, Ghobrial coached under coordinator Brant Boyer and fellow assistant Leon Washington as the team fielded one of the NFL's best special teams units.

In 2023, the Jets' kickoff coverage led the league by allowing an average of just 15.3 yards a return. Their opponents' 40.4-yard net punting average ranked seventh in the NFL. Kicker Greg Zuerlein made 35 of 38 field goal attempts, including five-of-six from 50+ yards, a .921 percentage, and scored 120 pounds. Rookie Xavier Gipson was second in the league with a 23.2-yard kickoff return average and tied for 12th with a 9.7-yard punt return average, including a game-winning 65-yard touchdown in the season opener vs. Buffalo. Ashtyn Davis was among the league leaders with 12 special teams tackles (nine solo) and forced and recovered a fumble.

The previous season, special teams captain Justin Hardee was selected to his first Pro Bowl after posting a career-high 14 tackles. He became just the sixth Jets special teamer to be selected to the Pro Bowl since 1970 and the only core special teamer. Two of the six were chosen during Ghobrial's tenure. Zuerlein kicked three of the four longest field goals in franchise history and became one of four Jets to convert multiple field goals of 55+ yards as a Jet.

In 2021, the Jets were the only team in the league to finish in the top five in both kickoff and punt return average that season. Wide receiver/return specialist Braxton Berrios was selected as an All-Pro after he led the NFL in kickoff return average and finished second in punt return average.

Before joining the Jets, Ghobrial served as the special teams coordinator at Washington State (2020), Hawai'i (2018-19) and Tarleton State (2016-17). Following his first season at Tarleton State, he spent training camp with the Detroit Lions as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.

Ghobrial began his coaching career at his alma mater, UCLA, first as an undergrad assistant (2009-10), then as a quality control coach (2011), and finally as a graduate assistant (2012-13). Following his time with the Bruins, he coached at Syracuse (2014) and Colorado Mesa (2015), serving as the team's co-special teams coordinator in addition to coaching the defensive line and outside linebackers.

Ghobrial played defensive end for two seasons at UCLA, where he earned his bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in social science and comparative education.


Cameron Achord

Personal information
Born:    February 4, 1987 (age 37)
Brookhaven, Mississippi, U.S.

Career information
High school:    Brookhaven Academy
College:    Belhaven
Position:    Special teams coordinator

Career history
As a coach:
Southern Miss (2010–2011)
Special teams graduate assistant
Southern Miss (2012)
Offensive graduate assistant
Southwest Mississippi CC (2013–2016)
Special teams coordinator, quarterbacks coach, running backs coach & tight ends coach
Southwest Mississippi CC (2017)
Offensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, quarterbacks coach, running backs coach & tight ends coach
New England Patriots (2018–2019)
Assistant special teams coach
New England Patriots (2020–2023)
Special teams coordinator

Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (LIII)

Achord is a graduate of Brookhaven Academy. He graduated from Belhaven University with degrees in computer information science and sports administration in 2009. He received a master's degree in sports management from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2011.



Stephen Thomas, whose 16 years of coaching experience include five in the NFL, is in his first season as a Giants' assistant special teams coach.

Thomas spent the previous four seasons as the Detroit Lions' defensive quality control coach.

He joined the Lions in 2019 after spending six of the previous seven seasons (2012-14, 2016-18) at Princeton University, including the last two as the Tigers' special teams coordinator/inside linebackers coach.

In his final season at Princeton in 2018, Thomas coached a pair of first-team All-Ivy League linebackers (Mark Fossati and Tom Johnson). The Tigers' defense was fourth in the nation in points allowed and seventh in rushing defense. Thomas was Princeton's inside linebackers coach in 2016, when the Tigers led the league in scoring, total and rushing defense.

In-between his two stints at Princeton, Thomas was the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive quality control coach in 2015.

Prior to his initial tenure at Princeton, Thomas was a graduate assistant who worked with the offensive line at Southern Mississippi in 2011, and the linebackers (2010) and secondary (2009) at Delaware. He began his coaching career at Cortland State, where he mentored the cornerbacks in 2007 and the entire secondary the following season.

A native of Brooklyn, Thomas played defensive back and earned a degree in chemical and biological engineering at University at Buffalo. He also earned a master's degree in sport Mangement from Cortland.

Thomas and his wife, Erin, have a son, Justin, and a daughter, Olivia.

THOMAS AT A GLANCE

2007 Cortland State University cornerbacks

2008 Cortland State University defensive backs

2009 University of Delaware graduate assistant/secondary

2010 University of Delaware graduate assistant/linebackers

2011 University of Southern Mississippi graduate assistant/offensive line

2012-14 Princeton University inside linebackers

2015 Philadelphia Eagles defensive quality control

2016 Princeton University inside linebackers

2017-18 Princeton University special teams/inside linebackers

2019-22 Detroit Lions defensive quality control

2023 New York Giants assistant special teams

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I hope Michael Ghobrial is successful, even with an unimpressive résumé. I see he spent two years at SUNY Cortland, a school where I spent a couple of years before transferring to Binghamton U., and is right in my backyard. They were D3 National Champions last season, which is neither here nor there (just putting in a plug for them) and they've been well known nationally for superior soccer, baseball, and lacrosse teams, winning a number of championships. It's the "jock school" of the SUNY system, and even though it is plugged as an "education and teachers' school", its real focus is on sports

I suspect, if Ghobrial is not pretty successful in a short time period, that he will be replaced. Schoen doesn't seem to have a lot of patience with coaches who don't make good things happen

[MightyGiants]

I hope Michael Ghobrial is successful, even with an unimpressive résumé. I see he spent two years at SUNY Cortland, a school where I spent a couple of years before transferring to Binghamton U., and is right in my backyard. They were D3 National Champions last season, which is neither here nor there (just putting in a plug for them) and they've been well known nationally for superior soccer, baseball, and lacrosse teams, winning a number of championships. It's the "jock school" of the SUNY system, and even though it is plugged as an "education and teachers' school", its real focus is on sports

I suspect, if Ghobrial is not pretty successful in a short time period, that he will be replaced. Schoen doesn't seem to have a lot of patience with coaches who don't make good things happen

I appreciate that resumes are only part of the story.  I have interviewed people with meh resumes who just hit it out of the park with their interviews.   I am assuming that was the case with Ghobrial.

[AZGiantFan]

Creativity will be at a premium this year as ST coaches will have to figure out how to deal with the radical change in the kickoff rules.  A team that really nails how to deal with the new rules could reap a significant competitive advantage.  Let's hope that with a new ST coaching staff and influx of potential talent that team is the Giants.

[MightyGiants]

Creativity will be at a premium this year as ST coaches will have to figure out how to deal with the radical change in the kickoff rules.  A team that really nails how to deal with the new rules could reap a significant competitive advantage.  Let's hope that with a new ST coaching staff and influx of potential talent that team is the Giants.

I couldn't agree more.   This is the season, more than any other, where a team's fortunes could be greatly impacted by who they have as their special team's coordinator.

[kartanoman]

This is an excellent thread and, if the Giants have any hope of being competitive in the coming season, having a good, if not excellent, special teams could enable them to stay close in games they would otherwise lose or, glass half-full, be the difference in winning a close game (e.g. Polish Power Olszewski's punt return TD last year).

It was one of Bill Parcells' interests, especially punt returners, but special teams in general, that hitting on two of the three cylinders in a football game (i.e. offense, defense, special teams) will put a team in a good position to win a football game. Special teams have become a little more refined since then, and I believe they have even more opportunity for refinement. But a special teams' coach has to ensure that his players can, first and foremost, execute correctly and consistently. That's been a challenge with the Giants for a while now. That Michael Ghobrial is no stranger to the Sardine Can, and all its little details, such as wind patterns, is a good head start. The team has brought in new players, and I trust even more new players from free agency will find their way onto the team via special teams, so it's going to be different.

It's already been noted, and it cannot be understated, that Daboll is handling this off-season very differently than previous years in that he's now bringing in competition to challenge the incumbents and this is sorely overdue. This is going to help the entire team, not just special teams, bring their best every day to compete and fight for their job.

My biggest question mark remains Graham Gano's recovery to include his flexibility in his planting leg, as well as his strength to bear his weight on the planting leg as he goes through his kicking motion, will be something to keep an eye on. I have no doubt he will be ready for camp, assuming his procedure went well with no complications, and he has had time to rehab it so his flexibility and strength should be getting close to normal. But you know with surgeries, things are never the same as they once were. So, we'll see.

Peace!

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Creativity will be at a premium this year as ST coaches will have to figure out how to deal with the radical change in the kickoff rules.  A team that really nails how to deal with the new rules could reap a significant competitive advantage.  Let's hope that with a new ST coaching staff and influx of potential talent that team is the Giants.

It was quite awhile ago that I read a story about the hiring of Michael Ghobrial, but the gist of the story was that Ghobrial was excited about the new rules for kick off and had some good ideas on how to exploit it. Maybe that's why they signed him. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but if he has that creativity mindset, maybe he'll bring life into the third leg of the stool that keeps a team relevant in the NFL. The hiring of Boykin and McKenzie, the drafting of Tracy and Muasau have the smell of a team that is looking to make special teams a factor, rather than an afterthought. Hope so anyway

[MightyGiants]

This is an excellent thread and, if the Giants have any hope of being competitive in the coming season, having a good, if not excellent, special teams could enable them to stay close in games they would otherwise lose or, glass half-full, be the difference in winning a close game (e.g. Polish Power Olszewski's punt return TD last year).

It was one of Bill Parcells' interests, especially punt returners, but special teams in general, that hitting on two of the three cylinders in a football game (i.e. offense, defense, special teams) will put a team in a good position to win a football game. Special teams have become a little more refined since then, and I believe they have even more opportunity for refinement. But a special teams' coach has to ensure that his players can, first and foremost, execute correctly and consistently. That's been a challenge with the Giants for a while now. That Michael Ghobrial is no stranger to the Sardine Can, and all its little details, such as wind patterns, is a good head start. The team has brought in new players, and I trust even more new players from free agency will find their way onto the team via special teams, so it's going to be different.

It's already been noted, and it cannot be understated, that Daboll is handling this off-season very differently than previous years in that he's now bringing in competition to challenge the incumbents and this is sorely overdue. This is going to help the entire team, not just special teams, bring their best every day to compete and fight for their job.

My biggest question mark remains Graham Gano's recovery to include his flexibility in his planting leg, as well as his strength to bear his weight on the planting leg as he goes through his kicking motion, will be something to keep an eye on. I have no doubt he will be ready for camp, assuming his procedure went well with no complications, and he has had time to rehab it so his flexibility and strength should be getting close to normal. But you know with surgeries, things are never the same as they once were. So, we'll see.

Peace!

Another concern with Gano is that even prior to the knee injury, he missed 35% of his field goal attempts.

[londonblue]

A couple of things to add.

Ghobrial was working for a top 5 STC in Boyer at the Jets and was very highly regarded in the building. Has a reputation for being detail oriented, ultra prepared and finding small advantages. That brings back memories of a guy who started out on ST way back when and wound up being a pretty decent DC then HC. Not saying he has that upside but those are good traits to possess.

Gano was already carrying a leg problem that was incurred/visible week one. I remember a chat I had with Ceri a couple of weeks before his season ending injury suggesting we might be wise to IR Gano to prevent a more serious injury. Given his age there is definitely some risk around his recovery and return.

[Stringer Bell]

Though it wasn't broadcast in the headlines of news stories, the Giants' ST squad was poor the last few seasons. Fans knew it, but it was a side-note in the news. Apparently, judging by the changes, Schoen decided to fix it...knock on wood

Some of the changes I've noticed:

- Fired STC Thomas McGaughey and hired new STC Michael Ghobrial

- Resigned Gunner Olszewski (and true to his name, is a "gunner") who was our best gunner on STs since the retirement of David Tyree. Olszewski is also our punt returner, but that could change after the addition of WR/RB Tracy in the draft

- Signed Miles Boykin, one of the best gunners in the NFL...but as you know, we need two gunners, one on each side of the field

- Signed former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, on a cheap 1-yr contract. Should promote competition at the punt return spot between him and Olszewski (and probably Tracy)

- Resigned Carter Coughlin, our best STs player who led the team with nine tackles last season and has earned a reputation as a hard hitter https://www.giants.com/video/carter-coughlin-s-hit-stick-tackle-ends-patriot-kick-return-giants-vs-patriots-h

- Drafted shifty Tyrone Tracy as a RB, but is targeted to also be a returner who could be especially effective under the new kickoff rules

- Bryce Ford-Wheaton has spent the year and off-season practicing to make the STs squad as a "jammer" and possibly a "gunner"...he is apparently taking STs very seriously

- Drafted Darius Muasau who is known to be a special teams ace and an "unrelenting" attacker. He also played for our new STC Ghobrial. He is said to be an extremely hard hitter and a "film rat"

- hopefully, Graham Gano is back and in top shape as our place kicker

- Jamie Gillan "the Scottish Hammer" made impressive improvement last season and should be in even better shape this coming season

I'm sure there are other behind the scenes changes being made, but it certainly appears that Schoen and Daboll have not ignored the problem of the "Third Team", for which we have sucked, and have taken it very seriously to upgrade across the board. I suspect the biggest change is probably putting in a whole new system designed by our new STC Ghobrial

 

Great post and topic! Thanks for putting it together. Been thinking a lot about this and have many of the same thoughts.

I like the new coaching staff. I like how the return game is coming together. I like the focus on gunners and standout ST tacklers.

My one big concern is with the 2 kickers. Gano's return from injury at his age is definitely a concern. And I'm just not high on Gillan. Too inconsistent for my liking.

But if the return and coverage units can perform, I'll be happy.

[kartanoman]

Another concern with Gano is that even prior to the knee injury, he missed 35% of his field goal attempts.

The very thought of a potential "mental" impact entering the equation of a kicker can derail a career faster than a physical injury.

Let's hope his experience has taught him to work through that and, as these guys say, "focus on the next kick."

Peace!