Giants hire Pat Shurmur as head coach

The New York Giants officially announced the hiring of Pat Shurmur as their new head coach.

The former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator becomes the 18th head coach in Giants' franchise history. The two sides came to an agreement on a five-year deal, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, citing a source.

"We are pleased to welcome Pat to our organization and look forward to the leadership he will provide for our team," team president John Mara and chairman Steve Tisch said in a release. "He has an outstanding track record in developing young players, and it is clear his players respond to his guidance and direction."

Shurmur takes over for Ben McAdoo, who was fired on Dec. 4 during a disappointing 3-13 campaign. During that same time, Shurmur was leading a Vikings offense excelling despite injuries to starting quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford. He was named the assistant coach of the year by the Pro Football Writers Association last week.

The Giants interviewed six candidates and pursued Shurmur throughout the hiring process but had to wait for the Vikings' playoff run to conclude.

Shurmur now joins new Giants general manager Dave Gettleman and assistant GM Kevin Abrams.

The move already has one fervent supporter in star receiver Odell Beckham Jr.