A Defense Of Tom Coughlin -- From An Unlikely Source
by Ed Valentine on Aug 29, 2011 11:51 AM EDT
in New York Giants News
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If you guys have been here for a while you know that I have been a defender of New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin during the last two playoff-less seasons. I found a post this morning supporting my position on Coughlin from an unlikely source, so I figured I would bring it to your attention.
The source? SB Nation's New York Jets website, Gang Green Nation. Here is part of what GGN editor John B wrote on the subject of stability within franchises:
Monday's opponent, the New York Giants have suffered back to back end of season collapses to miss the Playoffs. Ownership has stuck by head coach, Tom Coughlin. It is fair to say Coughlin would not have kept his job under different owners than the Mara's and the Tisch's. Was this the right move?
My answer would be, "Yes!" Over the short term in the NFL, things vary a lot. Sometimes people have an uncharacteristic year or two. Remember how David Garrard threw 18 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 2007 and how the Jaguars were a team on the rise?
On the other end, Coughlin has a great track record. He won a Super Bowl with the Giants. He has won two division titles in New York and a strong run of success in Jacksonville. He is an excellent coach. Two years does not change that. The Giants smartly saw that two bad runs to end seasons did not change that. This is what good franchises do.
Bill Cowher had 7-9 and 6-10 seasons in 1998 and 1999. A lot of people thought he was on the hot seat in Pittsburgh. The Steelers knew they had a good coach who just hit a rough patch and saw they were unlikely to find a better coach. Cowher won at least ten games in four of his seven subsequent seasons in Pittsburgh as well as a Super Bowl.
Exactly. Coughlin is a terrific football coach. Is he perfect? Hardly. Is he to blame for the past two seasons? Certainly, there may be things that could have been done differently, but I don't think so. He can't punt for Matt Dodge. He can't force Eli Manning not to throw left-handed, or do anything about an inexplicable fumble when Eli tries to slide. Does the Super Bowl championship the Giants won with Coughlin give him a lifetime pass? Of course not. The only coach operating on a lifetime pass these days seems to be Penn State's Joe Paterno, who might coach until a player runs over him on the sidelines and actually kills him.
GGN is also correct to write "Continuity for the sake of continuity does not work."
Some of football's best coaches have gone through runs of two and three seasons, sometimes more, without making the playoffs. Right now, he deserves to still be the coach of the Giants.
I am just surprised to see the SB Nation folks who write about that other New York football team take that stance
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Amen
I’ve always had Coughlin’s back, which was probably most difficult after the ‘06 collapse. It’s really nice to have an ownership that consistently makes measured, responsible decisions (as any Redskins fan can tell you).
TC is a good coach...
you have to look at his sucessful record. He is a former player who knows the game…he is a bit oldschool, but has softened his stance on somethings since becoming the Giants coach. And to have that praise coming from outside of your organization is a real testament to his coaching abilities.
by oldschoolblue64 on Aug 29, 2011 12:11 PM EDT reply actions
Agree, Coughlin is and has always been a good coach...
It’s just that he is too loyal to a fault, his loyalty to Killdrive and Quinn is what gets him kill amongst us fans.
I'm not so surprised ..
Although I have had my share of run-ins over there, John has always been able to control his fandom and see beyond the green.
I may not be the most noble of men but in a town of lepers, im the one with the most fingers.
Giant LB'z SUCK!!? Mark Herzlich, Greg Jones,Spencer Paysinger...Maybe not..
really?
I have had my share of run-ins over there
This does not sound like the Troy O we know. Surely everyone finds you polite and agreeable.
Team Okpokowuruk
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines."
There is no denying he is a good coach
but the part that frustrates me the most about him is he might be loyal to a fault. The fact that Quinn still has a job with the Giants blows my mind.
I totally agree
I’ve always liked Coughlin. He’s definitely one of “our” guys. If you don’t understand that, you’re probably not a real Giants’ fan.
You know Ed
I’m surprised you are surprised. He regularly produces winning seasons for us. Who out there would be a guaranteed improvement? Think of all the bad coaches we have had. Bird in the hand.
I’m not even that negative about Gilbride, except he is so damn predictable on first down. Quinn, he has about four games to redeem himself before he should get canned.
I read this the other day
very good for a cross locker room rival’s blog to acknowledge that. it’s funny when you read some of the comments tho, about how TC has lost the locker room – that’s so 2006.
Yes, I am a Giants fan. Now that we got that out of the way....
IMPEACH DOLAN!!!!
I will not - lose! -Jay Z-
only in 2006...
I’m pretty sure it was true. I think Strahan, himself, was the guy to finally put that stuff to rest and tell the players to stick a fork in that talk. Coughlin created the leadership counsel, worked with the veteran guys to talk about the locker room stuff, and find a way to address his personal issues. Stray really was the vocal leader of that team and he made everyone believe in themselves.
In Reese We Trust
Coughlin
has put together quite a team in his years here. We have a wonderfully balanced offensive attack and a beast of a defense (when the injury bug doesn’t hit and even in spite of). I don’t recall the last time I felt we were going to make the playoffs year in and year out. I remember a couple of the Fassel and Reeves years (Handley who?) when I just knew we were in for a long year. I have always respected Coughlin and his commitment to our consistency and building from the ground up (18 of 22 starters are draft picks) of an incredible team that I’m proud to call myself a fan of.
I like linebackers. I collect 'em. You can't have too many good ones. - Bill Parcells
Be excellent to each other... and party on, dudes. - Abraham Lincoln
I can't believe this has generated so few comments
Maybe there is a TC-hater convention stuck without power in AC.
Team Okpokowuruk
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines."
Yes. He built that team literally from the ground up.
Took them from a team in a trailer, and averaged 10 wins over the first five seasons of the teams existence. Unheard of for an expansion team. He took them to two AFC Championship games, but lost both times.
His final three years there were not good. The team got old.
He finished 68-60, 4-4 in the playoffs in Jax.
I will be at the season opener NYG @ WAS with a few friends. If you are going and feel like looking up a fellow BBVer and having some fun, let me know.
Uh! Meant to comment on your question below
I will be at the season opener NYG @ WAS with a few friends. If you are going and feel like looking up a fellow BBVer and having some fun, let me know.
Yes, took them to the playoffs a couple of times.
Went to the playoff 2nd yr in existance, won 10 or more games for 3yrs straight…14-2 in 1999!
by oldschoolblue64 on Aug 29, 2011 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
The only reason why Coughlin wasn't let go
was because of the lockout.
And that’s all I’m saying about this.
I dunno
He got an extension. Seems like a pretty supportive move of someone they were gonna fire.
The Giants will probabaly move to LA because they suck so bad
I agree with this
Idu the people who call for a coachs head after one or two bad years.
Same with the Reid haters. seems kinda simple to me. What are we the Raiders/Bengals?
Η κόλαση δεν έχει μυστικά
"There is no struggle too vast, no odds too overwhelming, for even should we fail, should we fall, we will know that we have lived.--"Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness
Evil is relative…You can’t hang a sign on it. You can’t touch it or taste it or cut it with a sword. Evil depends on where you are standing, pointing your indicting finger.
-Glen Cook The Black Company
no doubt. We're two of the more fortunate fanbases...
Team Intervention:
Greg Jones
Tyler Sash
Jason Pierre-Paul
Will Beatty
Justin Trattou
by BigBlueIntervention on Aug 29, 2011 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Good coach, no doubt
But can they win one playoff game outside of 2007? Please?
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 29, 2011 2:18 PM EDT reply actions
My biggest criticism of TC is what he COULD control
Sheridan and Quinn
I am a fan of Kevin Gilbride and I don't care what you say
by Spider Lockhart on Aug 29, 2011 2:54 PM EDT reply actions
He got rid of Sheridan - thank goodness
And let’s be honest…our first 2 preseason game special teams look a heck of a lot better than any of the last 2 years. If this is what we’re looking at this year, we’re in a much better place.
In Reese We Trust
well not the first game, they were still terrible
but I have to admit, the coverage during the second game was the best I have seen in years. Nothing I would like better than to be turned into a Quinn fan
I am a fan of Kevin Gilbride and I don't care what you say
by Spider Lockhart on Aug 29, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Coughlin and Reese for that matter have built this team to the point where 8-8 and 10-6
are considered terrible years. SB is the expectation every year which didn’t seem the case under Fassel, Reeves or anyone since Parcells was the man here.
I do agree that his job should be questioned this season if they can’t make a run in the playoffs, but not necessarily SB or bust.
Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows
When a rival talks positive about your Head Coach......
Its time to worry. I can remember when they used to praise Jim Fassel as a tactician…and a this and that…..That usually means they WANT us to keep the coach…cause they have our number….. Basically the Jets, Eagles, Skins….Dallas, view Giants as competition…for market share in NYC and for Division rivalry. I’d rather them be saying he should be fired….. like we’d love Rex, or Reid or whomever, to be gone from their teams. I loved it when the Jets had Mancini…and all the previous bad coaches.
Do i feel Coughlin should go??? not ….YET. this is his year to make it or not. Last year was lost because of one special teams play….that should never have happened…..you may say that he told DODGE where to punt it…. and was not responsible for the result, and i say, a good coach should never have kept Dodge in the first place…..yeah…he can kick far…….ON OCCASION…but you mix that in with the line drives and the bad coverage on kicks, and its disaster waiting to happen ….which did……on basically the last play of the season. He hired his Special Teams coach, he kept Dodge on the roster…..those are coaching decisions…..can’t even blame the GM for that…….or the players….if a player is not NFL caliber….its the coach’s choice to cut or not cut him.
We will see who wins the punting job this season. I say …..Dodge is out….or maybe TC will be out at year end.
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