INDIANAPOLIS – The New York Giants were in the middle of their seemingly annual late-season swoon. They had lost four consecutive games to fall to 6-6 and were precariously close to falling out of playoff contention.
Radio and television talk shows predicted the imminent end of Tom Coughlin’s run as head coach of the Giants. Once again he was stubborn, too demanding, out of touch with his players — all the same reasons dredged up every year when his firing is supposedly close at hand.
Additional Photos
Instead, the Giants righted the ship and won three of their final four games to capture the NFC East. Now, after three playoff victories, they are poised to take on the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl today.
“I think we kind of got fed up with losing,” said Giants defensive end Justin Tuck. “We got fed up with people saying that our coach’s job was on the line every channel we turned to. At the end of the day, I commend him for being faithful and as strong-minded as he has been because he hasn’t changed his demeanor.
“He has probably loosened the reins a little as far as giving us a little more freedom, as far as some say-so in the locker room. At the end of the day, this is a Coughlin-based football team and we are going to follow him until the end.”
Coughlin, 66, will be the first to tell you he’s relaxed some of his rules. But, being a branch of the Bill Parcells coaching tree, he still demands the same effort from every player.
Any changes he has made are simply a part of his evolution as a coach.
“Have I changed?” he asked. “Probably, but I think it’s important as a process of learning. You learn, develop and change every year. You have to bring a fresh approach each year to your team, especially when you’ve been doing it a few years in the same place. If I’ve changed, it’s been an attempt to motivate and put us in the best possible chance (to win).”
John Mara, the owner of the Giants, said quite simply that Coughlin is the man he wants to coach his team.
When Coughlin — the wide receivers coach for the Giants under Parcells (where he began a deep relationship with Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, each offering advice on how to beat the opposition) — became available after the Jacksonville Jaguars fired him, the Giants didn’t wait long to hire him.
“We just felt like he was a winner and he would work so hard and be so devoted to putting a winning team on the field and that’s what we were looking for — a guy who was that dedicated and that hard-working and didn’t care about his image and doing TV commercials or whatever,” said Mara
“We wanted a guy that was devoted to the Xs and Os and coaching, and that’s what we got.”
In his eight seasons with the Giants, Coughlin has led them to a 74-54 record and, of course, one Super Bowl championship — that stunning 17-14 win over the previously undefeated Patriots just four years ago in Phoenix.
The Giants dismiss the notion they don’t like playing for him. “He means a lot (to us), just to play for him means a lot,” said running back Ahmad Bradshaw. “Us guys, we just want to win for him and he makes us want to win for him. He prepares us for everything.”
Warren Sapp, the former All-Pro defensive tackle who is now an analyst on the NFL Network, said players like Coughlin because he doesn’t waver — either in his message or his faith in them.
“When you hold your team accountable for every snap on offense and defense, it bodes well for you because now, if nothing else, (players) know what he’s asking of (them),” said Sapp.
“It’s consistent, the message that’s coming from you (as a coach).”
David Diehl, the Giants’ left tackle, said Coughlin — the head coach at Boston College for three years before he became expansion Jacksonville’s first head coach in 1995 — is a huge reason the Giants are playing in a second Super Bowl in four seasons.
“His approach to the game, the way he prepares, his attitude, throughout the ups and downs of this year he’s really kept the ship sailing in the right direction,” said Diehl.
“It’s a credit to him, throughout all the things said about him, maybe losing his job, it never changed his attitude. It never changes the way he approaches the game.
“He loves this game. Everything he does is about this game and it’s no coincidence that the leadership he’s given us and the guidance he’s given us has got us in the direction we’re in and where we’re at right now.”
Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:
mlowe@pressherald.com
Twitter: MikeLowePPH
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.