from http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4825410

Fewell joins Giants staff

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Buffalo Bills interim coach Perry Fewell has been hired as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator.

Coach Tom Coughlin announced the move late Thursday evening after Fewell spent the past few days weighing offers from the Giants and the Chicago Bears.

Fewell also interviewed for the vacant Bills coaching job but he has said for a while that he felt he was a long shot for that position.

Giants rookie defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was fired the day after the regular season ended. The Giants gave up more than 40 points in each of their last two games and 427 points for the season, ranking third from the bottom in the NFL. Only the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams gave up more.

Fewell and Coughlin have known each other for years.

Fewell spent five seasons as Coughlin's secondary coach in Jacksonville. He spent the last four as the Bills' defensive coordinator and was made their interim head coach for the final seven games of the 2009 season after Dick Jauron was fired. The Bills went 3-4.

"I expect Perry to bring the same qualities that I expect from myself," Coughlin said. "I want him to be firm, fair, honest and demanding. My expectation is that he will solidify and unify our defense and be an outstanding teacher. I want energy, enthusiasm, toughness and to make the necessary corrections and game adjustments. Perry is a teacher and a leader and I thought he did an outstanding job of displaying great leadership as the interim head coach of Buffalo this season."

The Giants and the Bills both use a 4-3 defensive scheme.

Both teams struggled with injuries on defense this season. The Giants lost safety Kenny Phillips (knee), middle linebacker Antonio Pierce (neck) and tackle Jay Alford for the season and had cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Corey Webster, linebacker Michael Boley and defensive tackle Chris Canty sidelined for significant portions of the season.

The Bills had five starters go on injured reserve.

"I am ecstatic to come to work for the New York Giants," Fewell said. "It's a good football team with good defensive players, and it is a franchise known for defense."

The Bills struggled stopping the run (30th overall), but the defensive backs led the AFC with 28 interceptions and were second in the NFL behind only the Green Bay Packers.

Rookie safety Jairus Byrd tied for the NFL lead with nine interceptions.

The Bills' defense allowed 14 touchdown passes in each of the last two seasons. The Giants gave up 31 in 2009.

The Giants had 24 takeaways and 13 interceptions in 2009.

In his four years as coordinator, the Bills' defense ranked 18th, 31st, 14th and 19th in the NFL, and that was with an offense that did not produce much or control the ball.

In 2009, Buffalo allowed 340.6 yards and 20.4 points a game. The Giants gave up an average of 324.9 yards and 26.7 points.

The year before, the Bills were fourth in the NFL in red-zone defense, allowing a touchdown on only 41.8 percent of possessions inside the 20-yard line.

Fewell coached Chicago defensive backs in 2005, when the Bears led the NFC with 24 interceptions and cornerback Nathan Vasher and safety Mike Brown were selected to the Pro Bowl. It's one of the reasons Lovie Smith wanted him back as coordinator.

"His defenses have consistently done a good job taking the ball away," Coughlin said.

Fewell was the secondary coach of the Rams in 2003-04. He entered the NFL as the defensive backs coach for Coughlin in 1998 and stayed there through 2002. Jacksonville's pass defense ranked third in the NFL in 1999 and two years later the Jaguars gave up only 13 touchdown passes.

"We brought Perry into the league in Jacksonville," said Coughlin, "and I was impressed with his thoroughness, his ability to work with the players and his absolute intent on learning all he could about his profession. He was hired as the secondary coach and he has had great experiences in St. Louis and Chicago with Lovie Smith and that system and in Buffalo with Dick Jauron, who was my original defensive coordinator in Jacksonville."

Fewell was a college coach for 13 years before coming to the NFL, working at North Carolina, Army, Kent State and Vanderbilt.

"I was a young coach, and he helped develop my philosophy of the game, the discipline, the know-how, the toughness that it takes and the attention to detail. Being prepared. That is what he instilled," Fewell said of his time with Coughlin.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

from insidefootball.com

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Search is Over: Perry Fewell Accepts Giants' Defensive Coordinator Job

It took almost two weeks, but the Giants finally got their man.

Former Buffalo Bills interim head coach Perry Fewell has accepted the Giants’ offer to become their new defensive coordinator.

“I am ecstatic to come to work for the New York Giants,” said Fewell in a statement released by the team. “It’s a good football team with good defensive players, and it is a franchise known for defense,” said Fewell.

Fewell, who had also been courted by Chicago where he was a defensive assistant under head coach Lovie Smith in 2005, is entering his 12th year in the NFL, having spent the last four seasons with the Bills, including seven games as the interim head coach. He began his NFL career as a member of Tom Coughlin’s Jacksonville Jaguars team, where he was a defensive assistant.

What did the Giants like about Fewell? For starters, his defenses have been successful in stopping the run, which is something Coughlin has repeatedly stressed to be of utmost importance for a defense. In 2008, Fewell’s limiting opposing offenses to less than 100 yards in seven games.

Another plus is the defense’s performance inside of the red zone, where the Giants also struggled this past year. In 2008, Fewell’s Bills finished fourth in the NFL in red zone defense (41.8%), allowing just 14 passing touchdowns, which was the fourth best in the league.

Still not convinced about the hire? Well how about the fact that Fewell’s 2008 unit was ranked second best in the AFC in negative yardage plays?

Most importantly is Fewell’s ability to teach and develop younger players to be productive. Witness his 2007 unit, which was hit hard by injuries, but which still manage to force 30 turnovers (18 interceptions and 12 fumble recovers), tying Buffalo with Jacksonville for fourth in the AFC with a plus-nine takeaway-giveaway ratio, and finishing fourth in the NFL in red zone defense by yielding a 44.6 touchdown percentage in the area.

In addition, Fewell coached Bills DE Aaron Schobel into a Pro Bowler, who recorded a career-high 14.0 sacks as part of a defense that finished with 40 sacks that season to finish fifth in the AFC. Further, the Bills’ 2006 defense, which started two rookies at safety, was one of five teams that didn't allow a 300-yard passer.

Fewell, who is proficient in running the Cover-2, described his defensive philosophy as “Disciplined, attacking, aggressive, eleven hats to the football.”

Certainly, those words were music to Coughlin’s ears, as the Giants 2009 defense didn’t always play a strong physical game, especially in stopping the run and creating turnovers. In addition, Coughlin is hoping Fewell can turn around a 2009 Giants defense that gave up an average of 324.9 yards and 26.7 points a game, including five games of 40+ points.

“I want him to be firm, fair, honest, and demanding,” said Coughlin. “My expectation is that he will solidify and unify our defense and be an outstanding teacher. I want energy, enthusiasm, toughness and to make the necessary corrections and game adjustments.”

I really like this signing, I think it is the best option available. Here is a Letter To the Editor I sent in to insidefootball.com on monday night

---

I can understand your point about a young up and coming firebrand coach (and possible future head coach). This certainly does have merit. It would certainly bring much needed energy and enthusiasm.

However, a case can equally be made for someone with proven experience running good defenses, someone who relates to the players and more importantly, has the respect the of the players. Interestingly there seems to be one candidate who fills both categories – Perry Fewell. He is a young, passionate up and coming coach and a future head coach and he has experience running good defensive units. Fewell could be groomed to be Coughlin’s eventual replacement.

He has experience with a 4-3 (which is a better fit for our playing roster) and has a lot of experience coaching defensive backs. I admit I was favoring Crennel as the next DC, but the more I think about it, perhaps Fewell is the best option

from Giants.com

Perry Fewell named D-Coordinator

With Michael Eisen, Giants.com

January 14, 2010
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Tom Coughlin has reached into his past for a coach to lead his defense into the future.

Perry Fewell, who once spent five seasons as Coughlin's secondary coach in Jacksonville, was today named the Giants' new defensive coordinator. Fewell spent the last four seasons as the Buffalo Bills' defensive coordinator and was the team's interim head coach for the final seven games of the 2009 season. The Bills were 3-4 under his direction. Following the season finale, the Buffalo fired its entire coaching staff.

Fewell was brought to Buffalo by Dick Jauron, who was Coughlin's defensive coordinator in Jacksonville for four seasons. Fewell and Jauron spent the 1998 season together with the Jaguars.

Coughlin is clear in what his expectations are from Fewell.

"I expect Perry to bring the same qualities that I expect from myself," said Coughlin. "I want him to be firm, fair, honest and demanding. My expectation is that he will solidify and unify our defense and be an outstanding teacher. I want energy, enthusiasm, toughness and to make the necessary corrections and game adjustments. Perry is a teacher and a leader and I thought he did an outstanding job of displaying great leadership as the interim head coach of Buffalo this season."

Said Fewell, "I am ecstatic to come to work for the New York Giants. It's a good football team with good defensive players, and it is a franchise known for defense."

Fewell's Bills defense allowed only 14 touchdown passes in each of the last two seasons (the Giants gave up 31 in 2009). This season, Buffalo tied for fifth in the NFL with 33 takeaways. The Bills' 28 interceptions were exceeded only by Green Bay's 30. The Giants had 24 takeaways and 13 interceptions in 2009. Buffalo's turnover differential improved from minus-eight in 2008 to plus-three in 2009. Bills rookie safety Jairus Byrd tied for the NFL lead with nine interceptions in only 14 games. The nine interceptions were five more than any other rookie had. Byrd was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury and missed the final two games but became the first Bills rookie to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Greg Bell in 1984.

In his four years as the coordinator in Buffalo, the Bills' defense ranked 18th, 31st, 14th and 19th in the NFL. In 2009, Buffalo allowed 340.6 yards and 20.4 points a game. The Giants' gave up 324.9 yards and 26.7 points a game (the Bills allowed 326 points, the Giants 427).

"Disciplined, attacking, aggressive, eleven hats to the football," is how Fewell describes his defensive approach.

In 2008, the Bills were fourth in the NFL in red zone defense, allowing a touchdown on only 41.8 percent of the opposition possessions inside the 20-yard line (23 of 55).

Fewell coached Chicago defensive backs in 2005, when the Bears led the NFC with 24 interceptions and cornerback Nathan Vasher and safety Mike Brown were selected to the Pro Bowl.

Said Coughlin, "His defenses have consistently done a good job taking the ball away."

In 2003 and 2004, Fewell was the secondary coach of the St. Louis Rams.

Fewell entered the NFL as the defensive backs coach for Coughlin and the Jaguars in 1998, a position he held through the 2002 season. Jacksonville's pass defense ranked third in the NFL in 1999 and two years later the Jaguars gave up only 13 touchdown passes.

"We brought Perry into the league in Jacksonville," said Coughlin, "and I was impressed with his thoroughness, his ability to work with the players and his absolute intent on learning all he could about his profession. He was hired as the secondary coach and he has had great experiences in St. Louis and Chicago with Lovie Smith and that system and in Buffalo with Dick Jauron, who was my original defensive coordinator in Jacksonville."

Fewell was a collegiate coach for 13 years before coming to the NFL. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina in 1985 and '86. He was the defensive backs coach at Army in 1987. The following year, he began a four-year stint as the wide receivers coach at Kent State. In 1992, he returned to West Point, where he spent three seasons as the defensive line coach. Fewell's final college job was at Vanderbilt, where he coached the secondary from 1995-97 and was also assistant head coach in his final season there.

When asked to characterize his five years of working under Coughlin in Jacksonville, Fewell said, "I was a young coach, and he helped develop my philosophy of the game, the discipline, the know-how, the toughness that it takes and the attention to detail. Being prepared. That is what he instilled."

Fewell was born on Sept. 7, 1962 in Gastonia, N.C. He was on the football and track teams at South Point High School in Belmont, N.C. and was inducted into the Belmont Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Fewell lettered as a defensive back for four years at Lenoir-Rhyne College and was named the team's most improved player in 1983. He graduated with a degree in business administration in 1985.

Fewell was my second choice behind Crennel. This was likely due to the fact that I just didn't know much about him.
I think Fewell will bring a lot of passion and enthusiasm that will rub off on the players.
The Bills led the league in turnovers last season and did a fair job of keeping teams from scoring in the redzone. Not bad for a team that missed 5 starters and moved a strong safety into a weakside LB role midseason.