Tom Coughlin’s two Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants will be remembered fondly, but nothing is permanent in the NFL.
On Monday, Coughlin officially stepped down as Giants coach, ending a historic 12-year run with the team.
Coughlin said he met with owners John Mara and Steve Tisch and stepped down "in the best interest of the organization."
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as head coach of the New York Football Giants," Coughlin said in a statement. "This is a not a sad occasion for me. I have spent 15 years with this organization as an assistant and head coach and was fortunate to be part of three Super Bowl winning teams. A Lombardi Trophy every five years is an achievement in which we all take great pride." Coughlin finishes his Giants career with a 102-90 record. Remarkably, 10 of his 12 seasons ended without a playoff win and six of the last seven concluded without a trip to the playoffs. But when people look back on Coughlin’s time with the Giants, they’ll mostly remember 2007 and 2011, because both seasons ended with a Super Bowl title.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as head coach of the New York Football Giants," Coughlin said in a statement. "This is a not a sad occasion for me. I have spent 15 years with this organization as an assistant and head coach and was fortunate to be part of three Super Bowl winning teams. A Lombardi Trophy every five years is an achievement in which we all take great pride." Coughlin finishes his Giants career with a 102-90 record. Remarkably, 10 of his 12 seasons ended without a playoff win and six of the last seven concluded without a trip to the playoffs. But when people look back on Coughlin’s time with the Giants, they’ll mostly remember 2007 and 2011, because both seasons ended with a Super Bowl title.
In 2007 the Giants staged one of the most shocking playoff runs of all time. As a 10-6 wildcard team, New York won road games at Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay to advance to Super Bowl XLII. Then the Giants pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, knocking off the 18-0 New England Patriots with a touchdown in the final minute.
The Giants did the unthinkable again in 2011. As a 9-7 division champ, the Giants knocked off Atlanta, beat the 15-1 Packers in Lambeau Field and then won at San Francisco in the NFC championship game. Coughlin’s team again beat Bill Belichick’s Patriots in the Super Bowl, winning 21-17 on a touchdown in the final minute.
But the good vibes from those titles couldn’t last forever. After winning the division in 2008 and losing their first playoff game, the Giants missed the playoffs six of the next seven seasons. The Giants were never terrible — Coughlin never posted a record worse than 6-10 with the Giants, and they were usually in the playoff hunt in December — but always seemed to be prone to strange late-game losses that would ultimately keep them out of the playoffs.
The 2015 season was ugly at times. The Giants completely mismanaged the clock in a Week 1 loss at Dallas, allowing the Cowboys to score the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. Eight close losses in a 6-10 season came by 26 combined points. The Patriots and Panthers each won at MetLife Stadium on last-second field goals.
The 2015 season was ugly at times. The Giants completely mismanaged the clock in a Week 1 loss at Dallas, allowing the Cowboys to score the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. Eight close losses in a 6-10 season came by 26 combined points. The Patriots and Panthers each won at MetLife Stadium on last-second field goals.
In the Panthers loss, Coughlin was criticized for not benching Odell Beckham, who was out of control and got into numerous altercations after plays. It went against the disciplinarian reputation Coughlin set with the Giants. Beckham was suspended for a game against the Vikings, which turned into an embarrassing 49-17 loss in prime time.
Coughlin’s time with the Giants is done, but his championship legacy with the team is set. It was just time for both sides to move on.
Coughlin’s time with the Giants is done, but his championship legacy with the team is set. It was just time for both sides to move on.
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