The Giants’ hiring of Joe Judge as the 19th head coach in franchise history is a stunner, given he is only 38 years old and was the Patriots’ special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach. There is plenty to digest. The Post’s Paul Schwartz answers the most pressing questions:

Q: Did the Giants miss out on their first choice, Matt Rhule?

A: If you canvased Giants ownership and the front office before this process began, it is likely the consensus would have been Rhule as the next head coach. They had been in contact with the then-Baylor coach over the past week or so, numerous times. He knew of the strong interest. But co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, general manager Dave Gettleman or assistant GM Kevin Abrams were not going to fly to Waco, Texas, or to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (where Rhule was on vacation), in a preemptive strike to beat the Panthers to the punch. He was not that kind of must-have candidate, in their view.

Q: Was this love on the first date with Judge?

A: He was on the Giants’ radar for a couple of years, but the interview on Monday immediately thrust Judge to the top of the list and made him the man to beat.

Q: What role did Bill Belichick play in all this?

A: A large role. The Giants spoke with Belichick before making this choice and the feedback they got back was glowingly positive. What did he say? Well, here is what Belichick said about Judge in July: “Joe could probably coach any position on the field. He does an excellent job of teaching players. He thinks quickly. The game comes easy to him. He understand concepts and adjustments and fundamental techniques. That’s the mark of a good coach. I would definitely put him in that category.’’

Q: Was money a sticking point with Rhule?

A: Rhule got a seven-year, $62 million deal from the Panthers. The Giants were not going to guarantee Rhule nearly $9 million a year — that would have made him the highest-paid coach in franchise history. Rhule is now the sixth highest-paid head coach in the league. The five coaches in front of him — Belichick, Pete Carroll, Jon Gruden, Sean Payton and John Harbaugh — have all won Super Bowls. The Giants were prepared to shell out for the buyout Rhule had at Baylor — $6 million — and knew they had to up the ante with a college coach making $4.25 million to live in Waco, Texas. The Giants were not ever going to give anyone a seven-year deal. Do not forget, they are still on the books for the final three years of Pat Shurmur’s contract. That is around $15 million, depending on what the offset is when (if) Shurmur gets a job as an offensive coordinator.


Q: What is the deal with Jason Garrett?

A: On Sunday, the Giants put in a request to speak with Garrett, whose contract with the Cowboys expires Jan. 14. The request, seeking permission to interview Garrett for the head-coaching position, came a day before the Giants met with Judge and now is irrelevant. Garrett was not considered a front-burner option, but there was some interest.

Q: How smart is Joe Judge?

A: Very smart. He is in the process of getting his PhD in Education. Once he gives his dissertation you can call him Dr. Joe Judge. “The sole purpose is to be a better coach,’’ a New England source said. “He wants to be a masterful teacher.’’

Q: The Giants want someone who can command a room, a true leader of men. How does this 38-year-old stack up here?

A: It is too soon to tell. As a special-teams coordinator, Judge got up in front of more players with the Patriots than any assistant coach. He motivated the players under his direction based primarily on how well they were prepared for every situation on the field. “He’s not the rah-rah type, but you follow him because what he told you was going to happen did happen,’’ the source said. “Believe me, he’s demanding.’’

Q: Do the Giants see Judge as a Belichick clone?

A: Not really. They see him as a product of some of the very best coaching anywhere — Belichick with the Patriots, Nick Saban at Alabama — but also see him as a worthy successor to Harbaugh, the Ravens head coach who was a special-teams coordinator before getting his big chance. “People always think ‘A Belichick guy, what’s this guy going to be like?’ ’’ the source said. “I think he’s going to be his own guy, he’s going to work well with people in that building, he’s going to understand there’s a marketing component and there’s media obligations, I really do. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get that. He’s not going to be overwhelmed by the job.’’

Ref;nypost.com