Tom Coughlin Out As Head Coach Of New York Giants
By Erik Lambert
It’s the end of an era. One of the most successful periods in New York Giants football history concluded when Tom Coughlin, 68-years old, was informed he was done as head coach after 12 seasons in charge.
Tom Coughlin has informed his coaching staff that the Giants are making a head coaching change, source tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2016
Coughlin took over the team in 2004, the same year they drafted Eli Manning to become their franchise quarterback and together the two oversaw one of the more remarkable runs in NFL history. The Giants have gone 96-80 under Coughlin’s watch, a run that somehow never won him Coach of the Year. However, what it did do was reach the playoffs five times and win two Super Bowls, including the greatest upset in pro football history.
He remains the only coach in the league to successfully defeat Bill Belichick, a surefire Hall of Famer in the big game, and he did it twice. All of that makes it easy to overlook that Coughlin was a successful coach before he ever got to New York. In fact he was the one who took over the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars back in 1995. Just two seasons into his tenure there, he took them to the AFC championship. Then in 1999 he led them to a 14-2 record and another conference title game appearance.
The man has won 181 games in his coaching career including the playoffs and has the same number of rings as Bill Parcells. This should advocate him as a legitimate candidate for the Hall of Fame whenever he becomes eligible. That could be sooner than later if he decides to retire following this decision to leave New York.