We're going to assemble a staff and a locker room that the fans can rally around.

In deference to predecessor, Ben McAdoo is keeping the New York Giants on Tom Coughlin time. McAdoo coached under McCarthy until the New York Giants hired him as their offensive coordinator two years ago.

"I think he has something in him that's going to allow him to be a terrific National Football League head coach", Mara said. "That's what you live for". It's the opportunity of a lifetime. It's the capital of the world. What could be better than this type of opportunity and this type of pressure? "This type of opportunity and this type of pressure, you prepare for it. I have been a guy who has been baptized by fire and I am comfortable with it".

McAdoo said there would be four elements to his coaching approach.

The Giants offensive coordinator the past two seasons refused to discuss his staff, saying things were fluid.

"Someone told me that he was here working out this morning so I did not get a chance to see him but we would like to have that discussion with him assuming that he is not going to be coaching this year and I guess he won't be but I don't know if that is final yet."

That said, the 38-year-old McAdoo will make changes in taking over a Giants team that won two Super Bowls in Coughlin's 12-year tenure. "We talked about it, we came to a consensus on who we wanted and Ben got the nod".

"What I loved about it was the way he answered all your questions, and the way he didn't answer a lot of the questions", John Mara said with a laugh. Doesn't hurt to have Odell Beckham of course, but Eli's arguably getting better as a passer under the guy who will be his current coach. Everybody interviewed well. I don't think anything stood out different from other guys. He brings a youthful spark and creativity the Giants have not seen in almost a decade, and can hopefully return the team to their winning ways. Really it's been 3½, it goes back to the second half of the 2012 season, and then the following three years have been miserable.

Reese clearly has not provided the Giants with enough talent in recent years, as evidenced by the team falling short of the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

While the Giants' record wasn't stellar this season, there was definitely a feeling around the team that they couldn't possibly lose that many close games in a row in the long term.

Mara admitted that the hiring of McAdoo by the Giants is similar to that of the hiring of Mike Tomlin by the Pittsburgh Steelers to replace Bill Cowher.

McAdoo and Mara made it clear that GM Reese would still pick the roster, though he'll be consulted on the draft and free agency as Coughlin was.

"Every once in a while, he would bark at somebody", Mara said. "This was an organizational failure on our part, starting with me and working its way down. We all have to take some blame for that and now it is up to us to turn it around". Asked what his reaction was when he was offered the job, McAdoo said: "I think I about ripped John's arm out of his socket". "We will be dedicated in our football". He coaches in sweats and likely will continue to be seen around the building in more casual work attire than what he wore Friday.

"It was 'Don't mess with the clocks, ' and there may have been an adjective or two in there", McAdoo said.