Add Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to the list of New York Giants coaching candidates.
The Giants requested permission to speak with Shurmur on Tuesday, a source told ESPN. He joins New England Patriots coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and former Denver Broncos assistant Eric Studesville as known candidates.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is also expected to be in the mix.
The Vikings (13-3) have a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs. That leaves Shurmur available to speak with teams about his availability this week. The Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears also have requested interviews.
Shurmur has head-coaching experience. He guided the Cleveland Browns during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He’s been the Vikings’ offensive coordinator for most of the past two seasons, and he did an admirable job this season with Case Keenum as his quarterback. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the Eagles.
The Vikings finished 11th in total offense this season. Shurmur deserves a lot of the credit.
"As a player, I'm always wondering where the really tricky things are," third-string quarterback Kyle Sloter said earlier this season. "I'll give him credit. A lot of times I'll sit there, and I'll be like, 'Man, I don't know if this is going to work in this situation.' But every time I'm sitting there thinking that, we bust a 40-yard run or 20-yard pass. He keeps it simple, and it's worked out for our team."
One of Shurmur’s strong points is working with quarterbacks. He served as the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach under Andy Reid from 2002 to 2008.
The Pat Shurmur file
Age: 52
Hometown: Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Recent jobs: Vikings OC (2016-17), Vikings tight ends coach (2016), Eagles OC (2013-15), Eagles interim coach (2015), Browns head coach (2011-12)
Started career: Graduate assistant at Michigan State, where he eventually worked under Nick Saban.
Spags connection: Worked with interim Giants coach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in Philadelphia and St. Louis. Spagnuolo hired Shurmur as his offensive coordinator when he became head coach of the Rams in 2009.
Family business: His uncle, Fitz Shurmur, coached in the NFL for 24 years. He served as the Packers' defensive coordinator from 1994 to 98, winning Super Bowl XXXI.