Giants to hire Patriots special teams coach Joe Judge

Jan. 7 (UPI) -- The New York Giants are finalizing a deal to make New England Patriots special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach Joe Judge their next head coach.

Sources informed NFL Network and ESPN of the Giants' plan to hire Judge Tuesday. Judge spent eight seasons with the Patriots. He was named Patriots special teams coordinator in 2015, before adding the role of wide receivers coach before the 2019 season.

Baylor coach Matt Rhule was also linked to the job, before being hired to coach the Carolina Panthers.

The Giants fired coach Pat Shurmur Dec. 30. Shurmur was 9-23 in two seasons as Giants coach. The Giants were 4-12 during their 2019 campaign.

Sources told NFL Network Judge also had an offer to be head coach at Mississippi State, but delayed his decision before taking the Giants job.

Judge, 38, was one of seven known candidates linked to the Giants' coaching vacancy. He spent three years as a football analyst at Alabama -- under coach Nick Saban -- before being hired by the Patriots in 2012. Judge also spent a season on the staff at Birmingham Southern after serving as a graduate assistant in 2005 at Mississippi State.

The Giants haven't advanced past the wild card round of the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl in 2012. Judge will be the fifth Giants coach since 2015.