Tom Coughlin: From Fired to Top Coach in the Business

A funny thing happened on the way to a second Superbowl Victory–Tom Coughlin went from dead coach walking to the best coach in the league according to a new article from Sporting News.com. Tom Coughlin has been left for dead a few times while he was coaching the Giants, but each time that has happened the Giants have risen above and secured victories to help Coughlin keep his job. Tiki Barber went nuts on the Redskins in the 2006 in the finale to save Coughlin’s job. Then the team won a Superbowl run in the 2007 season-and then during the 2011 season some idiots (myself included) wondered if Coughlin’s words of wisdom were falling deaf on the Giants ears–and of course they went on to win the Superbowl in stunning fashion.

I have never doubted Coughlin’s ability to coach, he’s a terrific coach who really prepares his teams, but was curious if the Giants no longer were willing to follow Coughlin to the end of the Earth–whether or not he had just been there too long and it was time to part ways. The Giants had a number of embarrassing performances over the past three seasons (2009, 2010, and 2011) that often appeared to be more about effort than anything else. I could not have been more wrong.

Here’s what SportingNews wrote about Coughlin

No present coach has a better knack for getting his team to play best when it counts the most. He has won two Super Bowls as the underdog. He has won two NFC championship games on the road. And he has done it in the pressure-cooker of the New York media market.

Coughlin is the NFL’s oldest coach—he turns 66 in August—but shows no sign of slowing down. It has never been better to be Coughlin.

Overall record (16 years): 142-114. Record with Giants: 74-54. Playoff record: 11-7. Super Bowl record:2-0.

Another few seasons and Coughlin might pass Bill Parcells-if he hasn’t already-in the minds of Giants fans as the best coach of the New York Giants in the Superbowl Era.

There were a few rankings I disagree with–Mike Smith has a 43-21 career record. I know that he’s 0-3 in the playoffs, but he’s run into some buzz-saws. He lost to both the Packers and Giants in the Superbowl runs. He’s all the way down at #15–I would have him ahead of Marvin Lewis (#11) and probably Gary Kubiak (#12). Check out the list and let me know what you think.

Home/NFL Draft