Page 17 - atoday

SPORTS A17
Tuesday 5 January 2016

Giant
Legacy

Tom Coughlin Steps Down as Giants Head Coach

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin answers questions during a news conference after the Giants lost 35-30 to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in East
Rutherford, N.J. Tom Coughlin, who returned the Giants to NFL prominence by winning two Super Bowls, resigned Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, after missing the playoffs for
the fourth consecutive year.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

TOM CANAVAN, that I step down as head what any of us expect, and Actually, this might have in their first five seasons.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. coach,” Coughlin said in a as head coach, I accept been one of Coughlin’s Coughlin came to the Gi-

– Tom Coughlin, who re- statement. “I strongly be- the responsibility for those best years as a coach. He ants in 2004 after Jim Fassel

turned the Giants to NFL lieve the time is right for me seasons,” he said. didn’t have a lot of talent was fired. The no-nonsense

prominence by winning and my family, and … the In a what-might-have- on the roster, and his de- coach vowed to restore

two Super Bowls, resigned Giants organization.” been season in the medio- fence spent the first two Giants pride and it didn’t

Monday after missing the The move may signal the cre NFC East, the Giants’ months with defensive star take long. They won the di-

playoffs for the fourth con- end of a 20-year NFL head failures came down to, as Jason Pierre-Paul sidelined vision the following season

secutive year. coaching career for the Coughlin often said, “fin- by a July 4 fireworks mis- and shocked the football

The Giants announced the 69-year-old Coughlin, one ishing.” New York lost five hap that mangled his right world by knocking off the

decision one day after the of 13 coaches to win mul- games in the final 74 sec- hand. then-undefeated Patriots in

Giants (6-10) capped their tiple Super Bowls. onds of regulation, includ- Coughlin posted a 110-93 the Super Bowl in February

third straight losing season The league’s oldest active ing four in the final 7 sec- record in 12 seasons with 2008. Coughlin’s lessons

with a 35-30 defeat against coach and third-longest onds. the Giants, winning three have been passed on: Dom

Philadelphia, their third tenured among the 32 who In a loss to the local rival division titles in addition to Capers, Kevin Gilbride, Dick

straight and sixth in seven finished the season, Cough- Jets, the Giants yielded his two league crowns. He Jauron, Lane Kiffin, Bobby

games. lin came into 2015 knowing a late tying score and was 72-64 in eight seasons Petrino, Tony Sparano and

“I met with (owners) John he had to get the Giants then lost when Josh Brown with the then-expansion Steve Spagnuolo, his cur-

Mara and Steve Tisch this back to the post-season to missed his first field goal of Jacksonville Jaguars, win- rent defensive co-ordinator

afternoon, and I informed keep his job. It didn’t hap- the season in overtime on ning two division titles and with the Giants, all moved

them that it is in the best pen. “Obviously, the past a kick that would have ex- taking them to two confer- into NFL head coaching

interest of the organization three years have not been tended the game. ence championship games positions.q