Coughlin to Return as Giants Coach
By JOHN BRANCH
Published: January 10, 2007
Tom Coughlin will remain the coach of the Giants for at least one more season, the team announced today.
Team president John Mara and treasurer Jonathan Tisch, whose families co-own the franchise, held a noon conference call with reporters to announce the decision.
Mara said that he and Tisch held lengthy discussions with Coughlin on Monday afternoon and again on Tuesday about the state of the team and to ask about Coughlin’s plan for going forward. At the end of those talks, Mara said, they told Coughlin that they wanted him to remain as head coach. Coughlin, 60, who had one year remaining on his four-year contract, was also given a one year contract extension, Mara said.
“What we wanted to hear from him is what exactly is his plan going forward,†Mara told reporters. “We wanted to hear those answers and we heard them.†Coughlin’s future was clouded in doubt after the team finished the season by losing seven of its final nine games, including a 23-20 loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs.
The Giants reached the midpoint of the regular season with a 6-2 record and had a two-game lead in the National Football Conference East. But they lost four games in a row, and six of their next seven, before finishing with a victory over the Washington Redskins. That lifted their regular-season record to 8-8 and allowed them to slip into the playoffs.
The late-season collapse forced the owners to consider firing Coughlin. Typically, a general manager would make such a decision, but Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi is retiring and vowed to stay out of the decision-making process.
Mara said today that the team was not ready to name a new general manager. The Giants entered the 2006 season as the defending division champions and boldly stated their Super Bowl aspirations. After a clumsy 1-2 start, including a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, after which tight end Jeremy Shockey said the team was “outplayed and outcoached,†the Giants won five games in a row.
The start of the downfall coincided with a quick rash of serious injuries. The Giants played most of the second half of the season without defensive end Michael Strahan, linebacker LaVar Arrington, left tackle Luke Petitgout and receiver Amani Toomer. Several other starters, particularly on defense, missed multiple games.
After being beaten handily by the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars to start the losing streak, the Giants blew a 21-0 fourth-quarter lead to the Tennessee Titans, losing 24-21. The Giants sandwiched close losses to the Dallas Cowboys and the Eagles around a road victory over the Carolina Panthers. They were blown out, at home, by the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 24 to fall to 7-8.
Coughlin stripped offensive coordinator John Hufnagel of his responsibilities on Christmas Day, five days before the Giants finished the regular season. They beat the Redskins to grab the sixth and final spot in the playoffs.
It was the first time since 1989 and 1990 that the Giants made the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
The decision over Coughlin’s future was far more complicated than the team’s record. Third-year quarterback Eli Manning, the first overall choice of the 2004 N.F.L. draft, showed few signs of improvement in 2006 and appears to be idling amid the league’s average quarterbacks.
“Obviously that was a major part of our discussions,†Mara said, “that Eli does need to play more consistently, and he’d be the first one to admit that. It’s something that I’ve been concerned about, his play over the second half of the season. There’s nobody in this building that doubts his ability and feels like he is not the guy to lead us to where we want to get to. But you’ve got to play more consistently.â€
By JOHN BRANCH
Published: January 10, 2007
Tom Coughlin will remain the coach of the Giants for at least one more season, the team announced today.
Team president John Mara and treasurer Jonathan Tisch, whose families co-own the franchise, held a noon conference call with reporters to announce the decision.
Mara said that he and Tisch held lengthy discussions with Coughlin on Monday afternoon and again on Tuesday about the state of the team and to ask about Coughlin’s plan for going forward. At the end of those talks, Mara said, they told Coughlin that they wanted him to remain as head coach. Coughlin, 60, who had one year remaining on his four-year contract, was also given a one year contract extension, Mara said.
“What we wanted to hear from him is what exactly is his plan going forward,†Mara told reporters. “We wanted to hear those answers and we heard them.†Coughlin’s future was clouded in doubt after the team finished the season by losing seven of its final nine games, including a 23-20 loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs.
The Giants reached the midpoint of the regular season with a 6-2 record and had a two-game lead in the National Football Conference East. But they lost four games in a row, and six of their next seven, before finishing with a victory over the Washington Redskins. That lifted their regular-season record to 8-8 and allowed them to slip into the playoffs.
The late-season collapse forced the owners to consider firing Coughlin. Typically, a general manager would make such a decision, but Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi is retiring and vowed to stay out of the decision-making process.
Mara said today that the team was not ready to name a new general manager. The Giants entered the 2006 season as the defending division champions and boldly stated their Super Bowl aspirations. After a clumsy 1-2 start, including a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, after which tight end Jeremy Shockey said the team was “outplayed and outcoached,†the Giants won five games in a row.
The start of the downfall coincided with a quick rash of serious injuries. The Giants played most of the second half of the season without defensive end Michael Strahan, linebacker LaVar Arrington, left tackle Luke Petitgout and receiver Amani Toomer. Several other starters, particularly on defense, missed multiple games.
After being beaten handily by the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars to start the losing streak, the Giants blew a 21-0 fourth-quarter lead to the Tennessee Titans, losing 24-21. The Giants sandwiched close losses to the Dallas Cowboys and the Eagles around a road victory over the Carolina Panthers. They were blown out, at home, by the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 24 to fall to 7-8.
Coughlin stripped offensive coordinator John Hufnagel of his responsibilities on Christmas Day, five days before the Giants finished the regular season. They beat the Redskins to grab the sixth and final spot in the playoffs.
It was the first time since 1989 and 1990 that the Giants made the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
The decision over Coughlin’s future was far more complicated than the team’s record. Third-year quarterback Eli Manning, the first overall choice of the 2004 N.F.L. draft, showed few signs of improvement in 2006 and appears to be idling amid the league’s average quarterbacks.
“Obviously that was a major part of our discussions,†Mara said, “that Eli does need to play more consistently, and he’d be the first one to admit that. It’s something that I’ve been concerned about, his play over the second half of the season. There’s nobody in this building that doubts his ability and feels like he is not the guy to lead us to where we want to get to. But you’ve got to play more consistently.â€
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