Despite Late-Season Collapse, New York Giants Opt to Bring Back Coach Tom Coughlin in 2007

Those New York Giants fans who wanted coach Tom Coughlin run out of town -- and I put myself in that group -- did not get their wish.

Three days after a turbulent season ended with a last-second 23-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs, the Giants announced that Coughlin would return in 2007. When Coughlin was not fired the day after the defeat to the Eagles it became apparent he would be coming back.

The team's owners, John Mara and Jonathan Tisch, ignored the harsh criticism of the media who wanted Coughlin's head on a silver platter. The media may not have been entirely objective since they have developed an intense dislike of the Giants coach. Nonetheless, Coughlin, with his silly rules and fines, comes across as an unlikable individual and seems to have an uncanny ability to rub people the wrong way.

The job of an NFL coach is not to make friends and win popularity contests. Vince
Lombardi hardly was beloved by his players during the heyday of the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s but Lombardi won championships, something Coughlin has not done. The loss to Philadelphia dropped Coughlin's career playoff mark to a less-than-stellar 4-6, though he did lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to a pair of AFC championship game appearances in the 1990s.

I don't know that the players liked Coughlin any more last season but there wasn't as much criticism because the Giants went 11-5 and won the NFC East. This season, the Giants fell apart in the second half, going 2-6, and Coughlin was
accused of losing control of the team. If there's one constant in sports, it's that winning cures all ills.

It may be unfair to say the Giants stopped playing hard for their coach. They
certainly played hard against the Eagles, rallying from a 20-10 deficit before falling short. I still believe, however, that Coughlin lost control of the team, and that was evidenced by so many undisciplined penalties that contributed to defeats in the second half of the season.