Giants Coach Tom Coughlin Fired

12 years later, and the New York Giants will not be the same.

 Tom Coughlin is no longer the head coach.  It says a lot about Coughlin as a leader that he stepped down, and did not wait to be fired.  Sure, it looks better for himself.  More importantly, it looks better for the entire Giants organization.  

In a statement Coughlin released, a few quotations stood out.  First, he stated, “Obviously, the past three years have not been what any of us expect, and as head coach, I accept the responsibility for those seasons.”  This is basic humility a coach should demonstrate, but I think it is remarkable he discusses it in his “step down” letter.  He addresses the negatives aspects of his time as the Giants coach, and consequently takes responsibility for four consecutive years of missing the playoffs.  

Most importantly, he ended his statement powerfully.  Coughlin wrote, “Finally, I would be remiss if I did not thank my wife Judy and our four children and their spouses and our 11 (soon to be 12) grandchildren. None of this would have been possible without their unconditional love and support.”  This stood out to me the most, and I thought of it again when I read Justin Tuck’s “Thank You” Facebook post for Coughlin.  Tuck used a picture where he was holding his own son, and Coughlin was patting him on the back.  

Tuck went on to say, “I chose this picture for one reason and one reason only. Everyone knows you for your dedication to your team and how intense you are on the football field. But I will remember you for helping me become a man and challenging all of us to be better husbands and fathers and men. You did it the right way, Coach.”  Evidently, Coughlin is a true family man.  

Through Tuck’s tribute, it is remarkable how much Coughlin emphasized not just football, but what is truly important in life. What was the most obvious was everyone’s reaction to his retirement, and the subsequent emotions.  From current players to former players, only good things were said about Tom Coughlin.  Dozens upon dozens of people tweeted about Coughlin thanking him for his “demand for accountability,” “being the best,” or “helping each player become his own leader.”  In the meantime, Eli Manning, whose success and durability must be attributed to Coughlin, struggled to hide back tears in his only head coach’s final press conference. Moreover, as a football coach, “successful” is an understatement to describe Coughlin.

Despite a number of losing seasons, Coughlin has two Super Bowl rings and has coached terrific players from Michael Strahan to Eli Manning to Odell Beckham Jr.  I firmly believe the Giants would not have been able to complete either playoff runs in their Super Bowl years with any other coach but Coughlin.  On the other hand, since Coughlin took over in 2004, Bill Belichick is the only other head coach to win multiple championships in that time span.  

Tom Coughlin is a New York sports legend, and the Giants will not be the same without him.