Mistakes New York Giants HC Ben McAdoo Needs to Avoid Making

Congratulations to new New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo, whose rise to the top spot on the coaching change after only two years as the offensive coordinator was announced Thursday.

Regardless of whether you agree with the decision by team ownership to elevate McAdoo so soon, he’s going to be the man for the next several years whom Giants nation is looking to pull their beloved Big Blue out of the dumps.

Along the way, McAdoo is sure to have his successes just as he is sure to make his mistakes. While the successes are still to come, here is a look at some mistakes that other head coaches, including outgoing head coach Tom Coughlin, that McAdoo would be wise to avoid if he is to enjoy a long and prosperous head-coaching career in the NFL.

Don't Become Impatient

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After four-straight seasons with no playoffs, and three with losing records (two of which McAdoo was a part), the pressure is obviously on to get the program turned back in the other direction.

However, anyone expecting a Super Bowl championship in 2016 is probably setting the bar way too high, as not even Rome was built in a day.

The Giants’ roster is headed for a massive overhaul both in terms of personnel and in terms of routine. That’s going to take some time to get used to, just as new teammates are going to take some time to get to know one another, with some of those still to be determined players finding their way into the team’s foundation.

In terms of results, yes, it’s a bottom-line business, but realistically speaking, progress has to be measured in baby steps rather than in long strides.

While it’s possible that McAdoo might feel pressure to strike now while he’s on his proverbial honeymoon, by taking things step by step, there’s no reason to believe he won’t help the Giants regain the credibility that team co-owner John Mara opined was lost over the past four seasons. 

Don't Treat Players Differently

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For as talented as receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is, his youthful exuberance at times seemed to be a bit much to handle for Coughlin.

It all came to a head in the Carolina game when Coughlin, who perhaps was coaching to save his job, declined to pull Beckham from the game when it was clear the young superstar had lost his composure.

Yet when now former defensive end Damontre Moore showed similar reckless behavior, he caught more of Coughlin's ire, losing the now former head coach's trust.  

Yes, Beckham is a special talent who needs to be on the field every down, but the bottom line is once a coach starts playing favorites, he's going to lose credibility. What better way to send a message to the rest of the team than to treat everyone, including the star players, equal?

Don't Forget That the Media Has a Job to Do

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Like it or not, part of a head coach’s job is to meet with the media a set number of times per week during the season and offseason.

Along with that, McAdoo is going to face all kinds of questions, ranging from the truly intelligent to the outlandish and borderline controversial. Regardless of what’s thrown at him, it would behoove him to handle each question with the same sincerity and not engage in snarky or combative communications as Coughlin did in his first few seasons as Giants head coach.

That doesn’t mean that McAdoo has to be the media’s best friend, nor does he have to reveal every last detail of what the team has planned. He simply has to understand and respect that the media has a job to do.

The good news is that as a coordinator, McAdoo seemed to handle this part of the job just fine. Now that he’s at the top of the ladder, the questions and probing are going to increase, so here’s hoping he continues to be as professional and cooperative as he was as a coordinator.

Avoid Micromanaging

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Sometimes when a person is newly promoted into a higher position of authority, that person, in an effort to prove that he or she is the right choice, tends to micromanage every last detail so that nothing is left to chance.

This is a pitfall McAdoo needs to avoid. It’s understandable that McAdoo, on some level, might want to justify ownership’s faith in him, and, certainly, it’s the head coach’s responsibility to have a finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the football operations.

At some point, McAdoo, who drew rave reviews from players when he was the offensive coordinator, needs to let his hand-picked assistant coaches and his players do what needs to be done. If he falls into the trap of micromanaging, he could potentially lose the locker room quickly. 

Don't Forget to "Walk the Talk"

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

McAdoo, in his quest to restore whatever pride was lost in the Giants' program, has every right to demand the most out of his players.

However, to make sure he gets that, he also has to be prepared to walk the talk, which means being the first one in the door in the morning and the last one out at night. 

There’s no quicker way to lose credibility with grown men than to play the “Do as I say, not as I do,” game.

The good news is that based on what I’ve been able to ascertain, McAdoo is a hard and relentless worker who indeed walks the talk. If he keeps that up, he should have no trouble getting the entire team to follow his lead. 

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.

Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.