New York Giants Hire Jim Herrmann and Jack Bicknell, Jr.

New York Giants Hire New Linebackers Coach: The Giants announced yesterday that they have hired Jim Herrmann to be their new linebackers coach. The position opened when Bill Sheridan was promoted to defensive coordinator on Monday.

Herrmann had served as the linebackers coach for the New York Jets the past three seasons (2006-2008). Interestingly, Herrmann was also the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan for nine years, where Sheridan served under him as a position coach for three seasons. Herrmann was the defensive coordinator at Michigan from 1997-2005 while Sheridan was the linebackers coach there in 2002 and the defensive line coach in 2003 and 2004.

“I’ve always been very much aware of Jim Herrmann and the job that he has done,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “He was the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan for a lot of years and did an outstanding job. I was very impressed by not only the type of defense that they played but the aggressive style that they played. And he is a part of the Bo Schembechler tree. I have always been a great admirer of Bo Schembechler. I have had an opportunity to watch (Herrmann) as a collegiate coach. People who have worked with him, Bill Sheridan has worked with him, people that I have respect for in the business have coached with him and have nothing but outstanding things to say about him.”

“What I really look forward to is the fact that I believe he will hit the ground running,” Coughlin said. “He will make a great contribution to our staff. My goal in losing coaches was to replenish the strength of our staff to try to make us better from a standpoint of our offseason preparation and our thinking and our moving forward in the next year with our team to make us better, to strengthen us as a staff, and I think we have been able to do that.”

“I am excited to be a part of the Giants,” Herrmann said. “I have watched Coach Coughlin and his teams and the way they have played and how they win, and I like being a part of that. I have been a very close friend of Bill’s for a long time and we coached together before at Michigan, so I am looking forward to working with him again. I have always studied Tom and his teams and I look forward to being part of that organization because I know how hard they work and how their players work hard to win.”

Boston Globe Reports Giants Have Hired Boston College OL Coach: According to The Boston Globe, the Giants have hired Boston College assistant head coach and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, Jr. to be the team’s new assistant offensive line coach. The paper says the official announcement could come as early as today.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin had served as quarterbacks coach under Bicknell’s father at Boston College from 1981-83. And Coughlin succeeded Bicknell’s father as head coach at Boston College in 1991.

The Giants’ previous assistant offensive line coach, Dave DeGuglielmo, left the Giants last week to become the new offensive line coach of the Miami Dolphins. DeGuglielmo also coached at Boston College.

Another Giants’ Wide Receiver Shot: Unbelievably, another Giants’ wide receiver has been wounded by a gun. Taye Biddle, who spent most of the 2008 season on the Practice Squad, was shot Sunday outside his home in Decatur, Alabama.

According to a press report, Biddle was shot in the hand and leg. He was treated at a local hospital and released. The wound to Biddle’s left hand apparently required surgery yesterday.

According to Decatur police, though the incident is still under investigation, there appears to be no foul play on the part of Biddle. “There is no evidence to indicate that Biddle did anything to contribute, cause or provoke the shooting,” said the police. Biddle reportedly was heading to his car when he was hit by the gunfire.

The Giants issued the following statement: “We have been in constant contact with Taye over the last two days and we are thankful he was able to walk away from this incident with relatively minor injuries.”

DeOssie Added to NFC Pro Bowl Roster: Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid, who is also the head coach of the 2009 NFC Pro Bowl team, has selected LB Zak DeOssie as his “need” player for the Pro Bowl. DeOssie was selected by Reid because the NFC team does not have a long snapper and DeOssie has worked with both NFC kickers – Giants’ punter Jeff Feagles and Giants’ place kicker John Carney. DeOssie works with Feagles on long snaps for punts during games, but he has also done some short snapping on field goals/extra points in practice for Carney.

“I am the luckiest kid on the planet,” said DeOssie. “I’m sitting at home and the next thing I know I am going to be playing in the Pro Bowl. It is very, very exciting. I am honored and flattered at the same time and it is great. I get to go out with Feags and John and we are going to have a great trip.”

“I think it is great and I think it is deserving,” Feagles said. “I think that he did a wonderful job, not only snapping the ball but in coverage and blocking…I think Zak is up there with all of them. He is very consistent, which is what you need at that position, and he has done a great job. I don’t ever have to think about what the snap is going to be. When I am back there the last thing I want to have to do is worry about where the snap is going to be and I’ve never had to do that with Zak. I am just real fortunate that he is really good.”

“I’m extremely happy for Zak,” Carney said. “He’s been riding a very blessed cloud lately. In his rookie year he goes to the Super Bowl and wins it. And in his second year he’s headed out to the Pro Bowl to snap around with a bunch of all-pros from across the league. He’s living a charmed life. He should go out and buy some lottery tickets.”

Aside from Feagles and Carney, DeOssie will join fellow teammates QB Eli Manning, RG Chris Snee, OC Shaun O’Hara, and DE Justin Tuck in Hawaii on the NFC Pro Bowl squad.