NY Giants Let Go Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell

The New York Giants fired defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell after five years with the team early Wednesday morning. The Giants later added that they are also firing cornerbacks coach Peter Giunta, who has been with the team for nine seasons.

"No one person is responsible for what happened in this year," head coach, Tom Coughlin said in a statement Wednesday reported by the New York Post. "That has to be loud and clear. If there is any one person responsible, it is me. It is not Perry Fewell. ... The simple fact of the matter is in the circumstance that we find ourselves, change is necessary. That may not be the most eloquent way of saying it, but that is what I am confronted with. The hope always is invigoration. You are going to stimulate. It is with great deliberation over a lengthy period of time throughout a thorough investigation and evaluation of what went on that I came to the conclusion that change was necessary."

At the end of the season, Fewell's position with the team appeared to be in jeopardy. However, Coughlin defended Fewell, 52, early on. Despite Coughlin's assessment that the defense had performed well in certain areas, Giants owner John Mara has said, more than once, that "the defense must improve." At that time, Mara stated that he would allow Coughlin to decide whether or not Fewell stays with the team.

Mara had said, "You don't tell a head coach like Tom Coughlin that he has to make certain changes. He knows better than we do."

After spending a week on evaluations, Coughlin decided that Giants need a change.

The coach, who will be retuning next season, added, "There are no hard feelings on my part about anything that anybody has done. The hard feelings are the six wins. That is the reality. It is unfortunate, but it is true."

Some of the likely candidates that the Giants could be interested in are Ravens' Steve Spagnuolo, 49ers' Vic Fangio and Bills' Jim Schwartz. Spagnuolo used to work with the Giants.

The Giants, who went 6-10, were ranked 29th in total defense in the league. The defense gave up 400 points, the fifth time that the franchise has done that in its history.

This is the third consecutive time that the Giants have missed the playoffs.