Loading ...New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is three months shy of his 66th birthday. He's been a coach in the NFL since 1984 (save for a three year gap from 1991-1993) and is currently the oldest head coach in the league. He's won two Lombardi Trophy's over the last five seasons and no one would question him if he decided it was time to walk away from the game. But that's not going to happen. Not only will Coughlin return for the 2012-2013 season, but he'll likely remain with the team for quite some time.
Speaking at the 17th annual Jay Fund Foundation golf tournament on Monday to benefit those battling cancer, Coughlin reiterated his desire to continue coaching in the NFL.
"I'm not mentally, not physically, ready [to retire]," said Coughlin. "I feel I have good energy. I'm excited every day. The competitiveness, the nature of the business, is something that I'm still excited about. I don't wander down that path. I don't think about retirement. I enjoy the situation I'm in. I appreciate the backing I've received from [Giants] ownership and the way the players have responded to our program."
As recently as last week, Giants co-owner John Mara said the team was working diligently on a contract extension for Coughlin, which is poised to be significantly longer than the one-year extension he received a year ago … which is somewhat ironic given Coughlin's thoughts on all contracts in the NFL.
"I really don't feel any pull or tug in another direction. I look at it on a yearly basis. In our business, no matter how many years they give you on the contract, it's a one-year deal anyway," Coughlin added.
Since Coughlin's transformation following the 2006 season, the mood amongst his players has changed substantially. Still an old-school disciplinarian, Coach Coughlin has managed to earn a tremendous amount of respect by allowing a two-way street of communication to open between he and his players. And the man who was once accused of driving running back Tiki Barber to retirement is now the same man who was visibly beloved by his players in 2011.
Coughlin has gone from the hot seat to immortality, and some even believe he deserves an open-ended contract with Big Blue.
In eight years with Big Blue, Coughlin has experienced only one losing season – his first (6-10 in 2004). Since then, he has compiled a 68-44 regular season record, a 8-3 playoff record and, of course, has brought the Lombardi Trophy home twice.
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Can’t argue with results. Anyone … including me … has to give Gramps his due. After two championships he gets to stay as long as he likes.
I admit to wanting him gone after 2006. I thought he’d “lost the team”. I still think he had.
The fact that he was able to completely turn that around 180 in one off season might be the most impressive coaching of his career. He didn’t lose his “old school” ways in the process either. Virtually all of those rules that players were mocking his first few years (being early for everything, appropriate color of socks in travel attire, etc.) are still in effect. He just somehow found a way to get a bunch of 20 something kids to buy into it, to believe that it is all for their benefit, and that he knows the way to go if they will only follow him.
And now that he’s got the rings to prove it, he’s not going to have that kind of trouble again. There are players on this roster that will be around for the rest of his career. He will never lose this locker room again because of them. They won’t let anybody come in here and say “this is stupid”, because they’ve seen the proof with their own eyes.
I’m an assh0le.
It’s part of what makes me “me.” I can be a curmudgeon and I’m very rarely satisfied with my work, let alone the work of others. I always see room for improvement, mainly because I have a healthy respect for the difference between capability and productivity. This is not to say that I’m ungrateful or that I am not appreciative of the people around me. On the contrary, I pride myself on being the person people go to for honesty and motivation, namely because–despite my academic interest in the field–I am not into politics. I try to shoot straight and say what’s on my mind. That gets me in trouble at least 60% of the time, but I value my integrity and honesty above everything else.
All of this to say–I respect Tom Coughlin and his approach to coaching. He is not interested in building a “team”; he is in the business of constructing and maintaining the viability of a program that spits out strong willed, “battle tested” young men. In an era where guys like Coughlin are viewed as “dinosaurs,” their ways viewed as vestigial remnants of a bygone age, and whose general caustic, grumpy attitude is routinely insulted in favor of flamboyant “personalities” who dominate the media outlets, our guy just keeps succeeding. I respect that and, to be honest, I model my own management philosophy after him.
Yeah, it’s the dreaded post-draft/pre-training camp doldrums so traffic is down on football blogs everywhere.
But I happen to think that things are slower than usual around here this year. And to understand why, one need look no further than the subject of this article.
Imagine what the reaction would have been last year at this time to an article entitled “Retirement not on the Mind of New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin.” The resultant firestorm would have lasted for days; generated scores of comments; and maybe gotten one or two posters banned.
One year later?
Crickets.
Face it: Failure and disappointment are the lifeblood of any sports blog. Over at the Cowboys blogs, fans are still passionately arguing over whether or not the team can win it all with Romo. Eagles fans are still at each other’s throats on the subject of Andy Reid (who many lovingly refer to as simply “Fat Fvck”)
Surely all is not sweetness and light here in the hallowed halls of Mara U. Even though the big questions of coach, GM, and quarterback are now largely settled, there must still be other topics that can sunder the G101 rabble into the angry, snarling factions whom we all know and love.
Time for Dan (or one of his writers) to channel their Inner Vacchiano. If there ain’t no real news, then make some of your own! An article or two designed to gin up a bit of the ol’ controversy might not be a bad idea. The state of the offensive line is always a popular subject for debate. Other suggested topics: Why Killdrive still sucks; Is Marvin Austin Sintim V 2.0?; Kate Mara: Time for an intervention?; and my own personal favorite – Jim Cordle, Superstar in Waiting!
Just my .02, to do with what you will.
I have absolutely no time to do any editorials right now (which is what you’re requesting). And if you haven’t noticed, Jen is the only other person writing on weekends. Nothing we can do about it, unfortunately.
Dan,
To be clear, I was not requesting a thing.
I understand that you are stretched pretty thin as it is and you’re already doing all that you can.
I was simply responding to a couple of comments made on the previous thread about the lack of activity around here.
No worries; things are slow now but I am 100% certain that the Giants will give us plenty to complain about in 2012 and that things will pick up around here as a result.
OTA’s start tomorrow, hate to jinx it but I’m sure there will be a few hammie pulls to discuss
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/05/giants_rookie_matt_mccants_awa.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/domenik-hixons-time-come-member-york-giants-fans-144500821–nfl.html
In there somewhere is his comments that
The Giants appear set with Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz as starters at wide receiver. It would be a disappointment if the very talented Rueben Randle (2012 second round pick out of LSU) did not capture the role as a third wide receiver. Beyond that, the Giants are thin in the receiving core. If Hixon can maintain his health, it would go a long way in solving problems of depth on a roster which lacks multiple or reliable hands at the position.
I dont think I would agree that it is thin is the description that should be used – it implies lack of talent rather I think the Giants have untested talent
even from Randle . The Giants have their two mainstays back in Nicks and Cruz! and we just have to wait and see after practices and preseason as to who will be the next third star . With this group, I think there will be a pleasant surprise especially since with the pickup of Bennett at TE and hopefully Wilson out of the backfield , it will take a lot of pressure off the WRs and I think they will do well . Unlike many , I think the key to a top notch WR corps is going to be Ramses Barden . I do appreciate the fact that he has not produced so far but I think the word was he is a slow learner so perhaps this will be his year also