Joe Judge of the New York Giants leaves the field after a loss at MetLife Stadium on Jan. 9, 2022, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - The New York Giants have fired head coach Joe Judge after a miserable 4-13 season. The team ended the season on a six-game losing streak.
The team said in a news release that Judge has been "relieved of his duties as head coach" after team president John Mara and chairman Steve Tisch decided that it was "in the best interest of our franchise to move in another direction."
"I said before the season started that I wanted to feel good about the direction we were headed when we played our last game of the season," Mara said. "Unfortunately, I cannot make that statement, which is why we have made this decision."
Judge had been blunt about the bad season for the team. He went 6-10 in his first year as head coach.
He went on a tirade last week, denouncing the notion that the franchise has become a "clown show." under his leadership. He claimed to have spoken to many former Giants who’ve expressed their desire to still be playing in New York.
"This ain't a team that is having fistfights on the sidelines. This ain't some clown show organization or something else," Judge said.
He became the head coach of the New York Giants after serving as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots from 2012-2019.
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"We appreciate Joe's efforts on behalf of the organization," Mara said. "We will hire a general manager and that person will lead the effort to hire a new head coach."
Judge joins a long list of coaches who were fired after the end of the regular season.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores were among those who have been let go.
Matt Nagy, who endured his first losing season as head coach of the Chicago Bears (6-11), was fired on Monday.
The Denver Broncos fired head coach Vic Fangio on Sunday.
The Jacksonville Jaguars fired Urban Meyer last month after a player said that the coach had been violent with him.
Jon Gruden resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders earlier in the season over an email scandal.