New York Giants Tom Coughlin: Best Coach In Franchise History?

Tom Coughlin now has a contract that will keep him with the New York Giants through at least 2014. So, let's debate the question. Is the 65-year-old, two-time Super Bowl-winning Coughlin the best coach in franchise history?

Giants chairman Steve Tisch Wednesday called Coughlin "the right person in the right job at the right time." That has turned out to be true.

Again, though, is he now the best coach the franchise has ever had? There are only two other names in that conversation. Bill Parcells, considered by most to be top dog prior to Coughlin's second Super Bowl, is one. Steve Owen, long-time coach in the early days of the franchise is the other.

Here are some of the numbers.

• Parcells and Coughlin each have two Super Bowl titles with the Giants. Owen won two NFL titles in 23 seasons as coach prior to the Super Bowl era.
• Coughlin and Parcells are tied for the franchise record with eight postseason victories.
• Parcells and Coughlin have each been Giants head coach for eight seasons. Parcells regular season winning percentage with the Giants was .611. Coughlin's is .578.

Here's how I view the question, and it is really only fair for me to debate Parcells vs. Coughlin. If Coughlin is not already the greatest coach in Giants franchise history, he will undoubtedly be considered as such by the end of his current contract. Parcells will always be a fan favorite with the Giants because he was part of the resurgence of the franchise from the wilderness years of the late 1960s and 1970s. Yet, Coughlin has now equaled Parcells' accomplishments and will surpass them over the next few years will give him the nod.

So, if Coughlin isn't No. 1 in this discussion already I see it as inevitable that he will be. Pretty amazing for a guy many fans and media members have spent years trying to get fired.

Your thoughts?