Giants' Head Coach Tom Coughlin Knows The Score

I re-read your post Ed. the points you made and backed up are undeniable.

I have never been a rabid “dump TC” campaigner but two thing still stick in my mind.

1. TC has had this team quit on him more than once.
2. Cowher brings an intensity to the game that might be what the Giants need.

I’ve always said that TC is a good X’s and O’s coach. He knows his stuff. It is his style of leadership – old school – that gets him into that gray area.

It we keep TC I am fine with that. He is better than most. For the Giants, now, in 2011, I am not sure he is better than Cowher.

Coughlin is a native New Yorker. He knows the score. Pierce didn’t say anything groundbreaking. Coughlin is a prideful man and I think last year really hurt him. He hasn’t minced words when discussing the season.

I see people touting the coaching prowess of Cowher but I recall quite a few terrible playoff losses by Cowher-coached Steelers teams. I’m talking about losses as the favorite. People talk about Spags winning Coughlin the Super Bowl but what about Dick LeBeau and the no. 1 Steelers defense that won Cowher his Super Bowl? It’s not like Roethlisberger’s historically bad Super Bowl performance is what took the Steelers over the top.

It took Cowher 15 years to win the big one at Pittsburgh. Yes. He won division titles, played in six AFC Championship games, and reached two Super Bowls but a 1/15 average is the only number that matters to me.

Coughlin took a reeling franchise and got it within a shot – pun intended – of consecutive Super Bowl wins. Has it all been pretty? No but I’ll still take him over Cowher.

if they coach long enough, will have some bad endings to their season. The HC can only control so much.

If Coughlin was able to coach both sides of the ball and ST…I’m sure he would. I still can’t believe some want to credit Spags for the SB year, but Coughlin for the way 2008 ended. Spags was still the DC, wasn’t he?

All these other coaches seem great, cuz we don’t know who the hell they are and from the outside, they’ve had success with their team and that’s all you can see.

And if TC were to step down I would love to hire him. Or, (God forbid) the Giants finished 4-12 like Ed said and he were to be fired then fine, bring in Cowher. But I dont think Cowher is a “better” coach than TC. I certainly dont understand how a so called Giants fan could root against their own team so TC gets fired so we could hire Cowher.

I do have a question for the BBV community. Wouldnt Cowher want final say over player personnel and the draft? If so, wouldnt Reese have to go as well?

The Brass absolutely loves him and Jerry and they will contine to provide the resources they need to win, with that being said we have to win and we will, we had a horrible season and still went 8-8…….Couglins program is perfect for our players and city. Antonio was just a lil upset inside when he said that, coughlin is not in jeopardy IMO and this was made clear by mr. Tisch and Mara, they want TC to find a way back to the top of the mountain, he is one of the best HC in the league, Cowher to me would be a little bit of a step down, he is very very good but mr. Labeau has alot to do with the Steeler’s runs as well.

If TC goes and i mean retirement because i cant see him being fired, Im all for one Mr. Perry Fewell taking over the position, we let one firery DC leave before and I hope we dont make that mistake again if we can prevent it.

This guy was sought out by the Giants Brass for a reason.

He is no nonsense, no BS, hardnose Giants style football through and through. and I, like you Ed, believe he is a part of the solution.

A coach is only as good as the players allow him to be.

That said I believe he does as good a job as anyone in getting his players on the same page as him. I have rarely watched a game and said that he did not have the guys prepped and ready to play. although admittedly that has happened. But no coach in the Nfl has a perfect record.

 It’s up to the players (of which we had only a few decent and healthy ones at the end of last season) to execute and win or lose ball games.

Bringing in another coach would set us back at least 2yrs while they implemented their system, and I still believe we are built to win now and into the future. I don’t care who the replacement would be, I would be extremely disappointed the decision….

unless we somehow go 4-12 like you suggested

His seat is warm. If we have what is considered by most to be a “good run” this season, everyone will be talking about how much longer he’s going to stay. Conversely, if we stink up the joint, everyone will be talking about how quickly we should get rid of him.
His seat is not hot, nor is it cold. It’s warm.

…how about Coughlin developed the talent that’s here so we can even talk about the ‘talent that’s here".

It ain’t like they draft in the top 5 every year so they got a bunch of elite freaks of nature on the roster who were dominant in college.

GM/Scout’s eye for talent helps you find “gems” in the end of the first and later on of course. But it doesn’t matter if your coaches are inept at developing that talent.

RB’s? Yes.
OL? Yes again.
LB’s? no

If we do not make the playoffs in 2010 then IMO TC’s seat should go from warm to pretty damn hot.

He’s out of the game too long. Yes, Vermeil won a SB but when he returned to football the Rams were 9-23 with him as HC before winning the SB. Then he moved on to KC. He did have a good record with KC 44-36. With KC he only made the playoffs once in 2003 losing in the first round.

Same with Gibbs. He was a modest 39-41 in his return to Skins

Parcells twice returned to the game after 3 year absence. He was 32-32 with Pats and 34-30 Cowgirls.

Coughlin runs a professional program for grownups. With the right guys, it’s a very solid way to run a team, and TC gets far too little credit for his playcalling – probably because he delegates a lot.

But.

There are times when a team needs a spark. A feeling that they’ve got something up their sleeve. Rex Ryan gives that to the Jets. Shanahan may do it for the Foreskins.
I’ve never had that feeling about a Coughlin-coached team. John Fox on the other hand…

How many has Coughlin brought to us? OK then. And I think it’s tougher to get a ring these days than even a decade ago, but that’s another discussion in itsself.
He’s a good, solid coach. Every coach has ups and downs. A lot of what happened last season was completely out of his control. Unless we have another injury-filled season, we’ll be fine.

that at least wade phillips isnt our coach

The Giants have had several very good coaches in my lifetime. The only truly smart one was Tuna, because he got out before the fans could rip him apart. Coughlin has handled defeat and failure the same way… get up in the morning and do the best you can do to make things right.
It’s funny when people say that he is too “conservative”. The Giants have never been as offensively successful as they have ben under the guidance of Coughlin and Gilbride. As far as their defense, I can’t say the same. Spags was sandwiched between two coaches that just were not “engaged”. Hopefully Fewell lives up to his name. I was hoping that his first move as DC would be to make Pierce part of his staff. When the dust settles with Pierce he’s going to be a very good coach, maybe not a head coach, or coordinator, but he’s a level headed guy who understands the mechanics of his position and the workings of what goes on between the lines. He’d have been quite helpful. But maybe it’s better that he is removed from THIS situation… he’ll hook up somewhere… hopefully not on TV… where like tiki, the only thing he can bring to the table is negative insight… that every team has, but isn’t unfortunate enough to have high profile athletes attain a voice to air their bitterness.
Anyway… you will be proven right Ed. Coughlin, Reese and their staffs will continue to do what they do. They identify strengths and weaknesses… remove the weaknesses and build on the strengths.
MSP, I wonder if you were chanting “TOM MUST GO” right after he led the Giants to the first victory in Dallas’ new stadium….

That AP was being overly critical of TC. The seat is always hot in New York and I’m thinking he’s more alluding to that if the Giants don’t perform this year.

Now, after the first two losses in ‘07, I was ready for TC’s head. But he changed. Not easy for a man to do, especially one who has lived his whole life a certain way. The corp players saw that, and responded to that, and it brought us a SB. And he didn’t leave immediately after. Cowher left coaching after getting that ring. Not the example I want leading my team.