Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in an announcement on Wednesday.
Coughlin was one of 29 individuals who will be considered for advancement in the process that will select 12 coach/contributors through to the next stage later this month.
Here are seven reasons why Coughlin is deserving of a bust in Canton.
Won multiple Super Bowls
Coughlin led the Giants to two Super Bowl upset victories (XLII, XLVI) over the New England Patriots as a head coach and was an assistant for another (XXV).
The XLII win was perhaps the biggest upset of the post-merger era as the Giants edged the Pats, 17-14, thwarting New England’s quest for a perfect season.
Most coaches with two or more Super Bowl wins are either in the Hall or on their way. Coughlin joins two other multiple Super Bowl winners on this year’s list — George Seifert and Mike Shanahan — so, he will have some competition.
A great overall record
Coughlin was a very productive and successful head coach in the NFL for 20 years.
Coughlin’s 20-year record was 182-157 (.537). His 182 total victories are the 12th-highest total in NFL history. He has seven seasons in which his team won over 10 games and he led his club to nine playoff appearances.
Put the Jaguars on the map
Coughlin left Boston College to head up the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.
He immediately had the Jags in contention, taking them to the AFC Championship Game in Year 2. In fact, the Jags were in the AFC Playoffs for the next three seasons after that and back in the AFC Championship in 1999.
Longevity and stability
Coughlin coached the Giants for 12 seasons and was on the sideline for 192 games for Big Blue. He is second in franchise history in both categories behind Hall of Famer Steve Owen.
Coughlin is remembered for his discipline and taking players to task. One example is “Coughlin Time,” which means all meetings and practices and other gatherings will begin five minutes sooner than the listed time.
Players who came on time would be marked late and then began to show up early from then on.
The development of Eli Manning
Coughlin took the reins as head coach of the Giants in 2004 — the same year the Giants landed quarterback Eli Manning in a draft day trade.
Manning was to sit behind veteran Kurt Warner as a rookie and learn the ropes. Coughlin knew the Giants were banking on Manning’s development for the success of the franchise.
The Giants had a 5-4 record behind Warner but Coughlin decided to make the switch to Manning. He won just one game the rest of the way but it was clear which direction the team was headed.
Manning went on to become the most prolific quarterback in Giants history.
Turned the Giants into an offensive juggernaut
The Giants had forever been noted for their smothering defenses. Coughlin was all for continuing that legacy but also wanted to keep scorekeepers busy with a more wide-open offense.
The Giants’ record for total points in a single season is 442, set by the 1963 club under Allie Sherman. They accomplished that in 14 games, by the way.
The next five highest totals in the century-long history of the Giants all belong to Coughlin’s teams: 429 (2012), 427 (2008), 422 (2005), 420 (2015), and 402 (2009).
Coughlin had the Giants in the top 10 in points in seven of his 12 seasons as head coach and in the top 10 five times in total yards.
Class and dignity
Very few head coaches can claim they did their job with the class and dignity that Coughlin did. He taught his players and others in the organization the right way to do things and how to conduct themselves as professionals.
He was both loved and hated by his players but even his harshest critics such as Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan both ended up having the utmost respect for the man in the end.
Coughlin helped Strahan seal his Hall of Fame legacy and turned Barber into one of the NFL’s most productive and versatile backs.
Away from the field, many players credit Coughlin with helping them become better sons, husbands, and fathers. And that’s all without mentioning the Jay Fund Foundation and all that’s meant for so many families in need.
