National Football League

Mike Sullivan returns as Giants' QB coach

Published Dec. 31, 2014 6:58 p.m. ET

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Mike Sullivan is returning to his old job as the New York Giants' quarterbacks coach.

Coach Tom Coughlin announced the hiring on Wednesday, a day after the team confirmed that Danny Langsdorf was leaving to become the offensive coordinator at Nebraska.

Sullivan worked with Coughlin from 2004 to 2011, serving as the wide receivers coach from 2004-09 and the quarterbacks coach for the last two years. He left after the Giants won their second Super Bowl under Coughlin to become the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator in 2012-13. After leaving the Bucs, he stayed in Tampa and worked this year as a consultant.

Sullivan spoke with Coughlin and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo on Tuesday. He has worked with most of the assistant offensive coaches on the staff.

Sullivan's first job in the NFL was Jacksonville's defensive quality control coach in 2002, Coughlin's final season as the Jaguars' coach. When Coughlin joined the Giants in 2004, he hired Sullivan.

''Mike Sullivan is a quality football coach and is an outstanding positional coach and did a great job for us as a receiver coach and as a quarterbacks coach,'' Coughlin said. ''He was the first thought that I had and we were fortunate in that the timing was right to get him back here. We're very pleased to be able to bring him back home.''

In Sullivan's two seasons as the Giants' quarterbacks coach, Eli Manning completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 8,935 yards, 60 touchdowns, 41 interceptions and a passer rating of 89.2. He had career-high totals of 31 touchdown passes in 2010 and 4,933 yards the following season.

''Mike worked very well with Eli when he was the quarterbacks coach,'' Coughlin said. ''We all wished him well when he went off to be an offensive coordinator, but we were sorry to see him go.''

Sullivan also will work with backup Ryan Nassib, who is entering his third season.

''It's great to be back,'' said Sullivan, who will have to adjust to a new West Coast offense that McAdoo installed this season. ''I can't wait to get started.''