Source: Brian Daboll 'very high' on Giants GM candidate Joe Schoen's list of prospective head coaches

It has long been assumed that if Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen got the Giants general manager job he’d bring along Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as his head coach.

That might be more than just speculation. It could be reality.

According to a source close to Schoen, Daboll is indeed “very high” on Schoen’s list of prospective head coaches if he were to get the Giants GM job, and Daboll would be expected to get an interview if he was still available. The source said Daboll might even be the favorite to become the Giants next coach under Schoen, but added that Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and former Dolphins coach Brian Flores figured to be on Schoen’s shortlist, too.

Schoen is considered by many to be the favorite for the Giants GM job. He is one of two known finalists out of the initial field of nine, and he was the first to get a second, in-person interview, which took place on Tuesday. Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles is the next finalist up, with his in-person interview scheduled for Wednesday, according to a source.

Once a GM is in place – maybe as soon as this weekend -- the Giants are expected to conduct a wide-ranging search for the next head coach, with perhaps a half-dozen candidates or more. Giants co-owner John Mara has promised there would be no “package deals” with a new GM coming in with a pre-ordained coach. However, the new GM’s preferences will matter a lot, since Mara also promised to give him “the flexibility to bring in the head coach that he wants.”

The 46-year-old Daboll could be a no-brainer choice for the Giants, since the primary job of the new brain trust would be fixing the offense and developing quarterback Daniel Jones. Daboll has done wonders with the Bills offense over the last four years, as evidenced by the Bills’ stunning performance in their 47-17 win over the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round of the playoffs on Saturday. Against the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense, the Bills had 482 total yards and scored seven touchdowns on their seven drives.

Daboll has also earned rave reviews for his development of quarterback Josh Allen, who was 21-of-25 for 308 yards and five touchdowns in that game against the Pats.

Not surprisingly, Daboll is already in high demand this offseason. He interviewed for the head coaching jobs with both the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins on Sunday. There could be more interviews coming in the next few days, and a source familiar with his thinking doubted he’d wait around for the Giants if he another team offered him a job first.

Daboll, as SNY reported on Sunday, is one of two head coaching candidates who are already on the Giants’ radar. Flores is the other.