By Jordan Zucker ’16, Staff Writer
Hero. Motivator. Coach. Tom Coughlin announced his resignation as head coach for the New York Giants on January 4, 2016 after a disappointing 6-10 season. While the 2015 season saw many key starters go down to injury early on (Will Beatty, starting LT, Prince Amukamara CB), Coughlin’s poor clock management in the 4th quarter contributed to many of the Giants’ 10 losses. While the Giants have missed the playoffs 5 times in the past 6 years, Tom Coughlin leaves behind 2 Super Bowl titles and an untarnished legacy.
Coughlin’s first experience as a head coach was with the Jacksonville Jaguars, a brand new expansion team. Over his first five years of coaching the team, he led them to regular season 49 victories, and two AFC championship appearances. Despite the incredible success of the upstart team, the Jaguars went 19-29 over the next three years and Coughlin was fired at the end of the 2002 season. After a yearlong hiatus, Coughlin returned to the NFL to coach the New York Giants after coach Jim Fassel was fired after a 4-12 season. In just his second year, Coughlin led the Giants to an 11-5 season, and a wildcard-berth against the Carolina Panthers. While the Giants were essentially blown out, 23-0, the future looked bright for a team with phenomenal young talents, and aging stars like Michael
Strahan from the Fassel regime. From 2005 to 2008, the Giants made the playoffs every year and upset the heavily favored New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl XLII in 2008. The 2007-8 Giants were a unique team, led by the “NASCAR” blitz-defense featuring star pass rushers Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Michael Strahan.[1] On offense, a young Eli Manning continued to make mistakes in the passing game but was almost entirely overshadowed by the “Earth, Wind, and Fire” committee of running backs comprised of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw. Coughlin reasoned that by frequently substituting running backs, the Giants’ running game would remain unpredictable and allow each back to be able to play at 100% throughout the entire game, while opponent rushers would be exhausted. After beating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, arguably the best upset of all time, Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants flew high for several years. In 2008 Giants were even better than in the historic 2007 team, but lost in the playoffs in the divisional round. Wide receiver Plaxico Burress was lost for the season after he accidentally shot his leg in a nightclub. Without Manning’s favorite target, the Giants fell to the Eagles 23-11.
The Giants subsequently missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 and by the 2011 season, rumors were swirling that Coughlin would be fired if the Giants didn’t make the playoffs. With Coughlin on the hot seat, he led the team to a 9-7 record, barely sneaking into the playoffs with a week 17 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants went on to yet another sensational playoff run that culminated with another victory over Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Yet after Coughlin’s second Super Bowl triumph, the team was never the same as injuries continued to take a huge toll on the team’s performance.[2] After finishing 6-10 for the first time since 2004, Coughlin’s first year coaching the team, many around the NFL speculated that 2015 would likely be his last year with the Giants. After blowing 6 fourth quarter leads, the last being against the Eagles in Week 17, Guard Justin Pugh noted, “We didn’t win the fourth quarter again…It’s been a broken record starting in Dallas (Week 1).”[3] Many in the Giants camp, however, were divided when it was revealed that Tom Coughlin would resign following a third straight dismal season. Some fans remember the glory days of the Giants and are fiercely loyal to Coughlin. Many, including myself, believe that GM Jerry Reese failed to draft rookies and sign free agents to improve the quality of the team. On the other hand, many fans look at Coughlin’s 2012-2015 stretch without rose-colored glasses, and believe Coughlin’s time in New York had run out. Those fans often point to Coughlin’s time management blunders as evidence that a change needed to be made.
Despite the past three seasons, Tom Coughlin will go down alongside Bill Parcells as one of the greatest Giants coaches in history and will likely be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While I myself have only ever seen Giants football with Coughlin’s intense, lined, beet-red face[4], I know that one day the Giants will return to glory as the best team in the NFL. While the New York Giants rebuild, I will miss the greatest coach in my lifetime.
[1] http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Tom+Brady/Michael+Strahan/Super+Bowl+XLII/4_aZgfWZ8mp
[2]http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt_cache/thumbnail/600/img/photos/2012/03/31/dd/e4/eli-coughlin_1329876a.JPG
[3]http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/12/new-york-giants-blown-fourth-quarter-leads-five-time-dallas-new-york-jets-choke-give-up
[4]http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/cold-weather-classics-red-faced-tom-coughlin-1.712010
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