Tom Coughlin hasn’t had the quietest of years. He made headlines after simple clock management errors cost him games early on in the season, but is this just part of how Coughlin operates?
His teams have never been juggernauts. They always seem to have their issues, but their ability to figure it out at a moments notice and get incredibly hot is unmatched. The years they won the Super Bowl, they weren’t the prettiest teams, but sneaky good teams that barely figured it out and go on and win a Super Bowl. So why would the Giants get rid of a coach who has brought them 2 Super Bowl trophies?
They have consistently been one of the most injured teams in the NFL. They were the most injured team in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, they lost 21 players for the season due to injury. Normally this wouldn’t be a coaches fault, but it shows the need for refreshment in all areas of the building.
The refreshment will reenergize the players and also the fans who have grown tired of the same errors game after game. Even if the next coach isn’t perfect, it won’t be the same old mistakes as before, rather a fresh face to grow tired of.
Lastly, age has to be a factor. At 69-years-old, Coughlin is the oldest coach by 5 years. Nobody has respect for elders more than I do, but father time is undefeated. It doesn’t seem like the same red-faced coach on the sideline. Now that his team is eliminated from the playoffs, the murmurs that Coughlin should be fired or resign have gotten very loud. Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo on the situation:
“This is a different Tom Coughlin, and I think he’s ready to move away. A lot of people are talking as if it’s an inevitability that on Monday he is going to resign. I am hearing that from a lot of people.”
If the writing on the wall is true, Coughlin should resign. He was one of the best while he was doing it, but it’s time for a new face for the Giants. This final stretch of his career won’t define him as a coach if this is it. The memories of his underdog team upsetting the Patriots to win the Super Bowl are much too fresh.