Joe Judge was clear, concise and — by the end of it — had Giants fans ready to run through a brick wall.
Giants president John Mara formally introduced Judge as the nineteenth head coach of the New York Giants Thursday afternoon. The longtime Patriots assistant thanked his family, his former players among others before he asserted how he'll "continue to be demanding" in his new environment.
Judge wasn't the marquee candidate available on the coaching market. The surplus of viable options, however, didn't stop Giants brass from their pursuit of Judge, who Mara said was the Giants' radar for the "last couple of years" — despite having never served as a head coach in his career. Judge is grateful for his newfound chance and is conveying the same message to his team.
"All I'm concerned about is the opportunity I have in front of me and what I have to do going forward," Judge said. "I'm going to tell my players the same thing. It doesn't matter how you got there. It doesn't matter how high profile you may or may not be. It's what you do on a daily basis. You're in a position. Earn it. Earn it every day.
"I appreciate the opportunity," Judge added. "I'm working every day to earn it. Our players have to do the same thing. The best players will play. I don't care where you got drafted. I don't care if you're an undrafted free agent. Old, young, traded, whatever you've got, everybody will have an opportunity to compete for a job on our roster. If you want to be on the field, be the best player.
Let's get to work -- pic.twitter.com/4GRyFzM1zO
— New York Giants (@Giants) January 9, 2020He didn't reveal which specific coaches he'd wish to bring aboard to his staff, but said he has a few names to keep in mind. Freddie Kitchens and Jason Garrett are two candidates rumored to interview with the team, according to reports. Judge also plans to spend time studying each and every member of his roster to build familiarity.
Judge delivered each message in a straightforward tone. It's easy to understand the unfamiliarity surrounding the Giants head coach. He's spent the majority of his coaching career as a special teams assistant with not much chance to build himself into a recognizable name among football fans. Instead of introducing himself, Judge spoke about his philosophy and values.
"What I'm about is an old school, physical mentality," Judge said. "We're going to put a product on the field that the people of this city and region are going to be proud of because this team will represent this area. We will play fast. We will play downhill. We will play aggressive. We will punch you in the nose for 60 minutes. We will play every play like it has a history and a life of its own with a relentless, competitive attitude."
The 38-year-old hopes for the Tri-State area to jump on board, indicating his desire for the Giants to reflect the area.
"I want the people who pay their hard-earned money and the neighborhoods of New York, North Jersey, South Jersey to come to our games and know the players on the field play with the same attitude they wake up with every morning," Judge said. "That is blue collar, it's hard work, it's in your face. We're not going to back down from anybody. We're going to come to work every day and grind it out the way they do in their jobs every day. They can invest their money in our program knowing it's worthwhile."
Judge was in his New England-based office when he received the phone call that he earned the position. He called the moment "humbling" after he spent the last decade working under Alabama's Nick Saban and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, learning specific lessons from each coach.
"I think when you work with anybody, you try and absorb as much as you can from them," Judge said. "You'll always have the opportunity to learn lessons if you pay attention and are willing to learn something new. I worked for two great coaches. There wasn't a day I went to work that I didn't come home with a full new education. I knew fully that there were coaches that would pay thousands of dollars to sit in a staff meeting and just hear the wisdom they were saying on a daily basis. I'd like to think I wasn't foolish enough to squander that."
Thursday afternoon, Judge joined Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on WFAN to discuss his new position as Giants head coach.
"It's a football team, a football town. It's got tough, passionate fans. That's what I believe the team should measure up to and reflect. That when you guys watch our games, watch our team, walk out of our stadium, turn your TV off, you think -- man, I'm gonna put that Giants hat on because they represent me."
Click the audio player above to hear the full interview with new Giants head coach Joe Judge.
