Report: Giants Interviewing Mike Singletary For Linebackers Coach

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Giants are reportedly interviewing a candidate for linebackers coach Thursday who was among the best to ever play the position.

Hall of Famer and former 49ers head coach Mike Singletary is being considered for the job, ESPN's Josina Anderson reported. Singletary and new Giants head coach Ben McAdoo worked together as assistants on the 2005 San Francisco 49ers staff.

Big Blue is looking to replace Jim Herrmann, who left to become the linebackers coach with the Indianapolis Colts.

Singletary, 57, played 12 seasons with the Chicago Bears (1981-92). The middle linebacker was selected to 10 Pro Bowls and was twice voted NFL Defensive Player of the Year before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Singletary had an 18-22 record as head coach of the 49ers, a tenure than began with him serving as interim coach in 2008.

After being fired in 2010, he spent three seasons as assistant head coach and linebackers coach for the Minnesota Vikings. He has been out of football the last two years.

According to a Forbes article in November, Singletary has spent his time away from the NFL by closely studying the game in hopes of someday getting another shot to be a head coach. He has held daylong brain-picking sessions with several former coaches and players, filming many, to help retool his approach.

McAdoo is also interviewing Packers assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari for the Giants' o-line coach job, Fox Sports reported. Pat Flaherty, who served as offensive line coach for all 12 years of the Tom Coughlin era, was among a handful of assistants not retained by McAdoo.

McAdoo is expected to keep at least eight assistants from Coughlin's 2015 staff, ESPN reported. Steve Spanguolo is staying on as defensive coordinator, and Mike Sullivan is expected to be promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. Also expected back are special teams coordinator Tom Quinn, tight ends coach Kevin M. Gilbride, running backs coach Craig Johnson, offensive assistant Ryan Roeder, safeties coach Dave Merritt and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton.

McAdoo has hired former Rams and Rutgers offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. as quarterbacks coach and ex-49ers wide receivers coach Adam Henry for the same role with the Giants, according to reports. Henry was Odell Beckham Jr.'s position coach at LSU.