NDIANAPOLIS I Every year, it seems, as the New York Giants’ season teeters toward a disappointing finish, coach Tom Coughlin finds himself listed in some ignominious company.Coughlin, despite winning 10 or more games in four of the last seven seasons, including a Super Bowl championship four years ago, is an annual member of the club known as Coaches on the Hot Seat.It was no different this season when the Giants, after a 6-2 start, lost five of six games and appeared likely to miss the postseason for the third straight year. But Coughlin convinced his team it was not out of contention. The Giants went on to win, in effect, five elimination games — the last two in the regular season and three straight postseason games — on the way to a return to the Super Bowl, where they will face New England on Sunday.If the Giants defeat the Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons, Coughlin’s place in history will be viewed differently than it was just a few weeks ago.With two Super Bowl championships, he would have gone from the Hot Seat to the Hall of Fame. Coughlin, 65, has one more year left on his contract and now will certainly be given an extension that will take him through his retirement.Coughlin isn’t surprised how quickly opinions changed on whether he should have been canned or headed for Canton.“If you are coaching in this job,” Coughlin said, “you are either one or the other. I just keep the blinders on and go straight ahead. I don’t have anything to do with what is being said on the outside.“I don’t let it affect me in any way. I do believe in the John Wooden statement: ‘We like praise, we don’t like criticism, but if you let either one affect your preparation, you have a problem.’ ”Coughlin was anything but a popular coach with his Giants players when he took over in 2004 after he spent eight seasons as the original coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. Coughlin, a disciple of Bill Parcells as a Giants assistant for three years, including one Super Bowl championship, was gruff and tough with the Jaguars but guided them to the AFC championship game in just the second year of the franchise’s history and to four postseason berths in all.He was even more demanding with the Giants, even fining players if they didn’t arrive for meetings at least five minutes early, known as Coughlin Time. Players complained, but Coughlin got their attention. By his third season, the Giants won it all, and did it the hard way as a wild card, winning three road playoff games, plus spoiling New England’s bid for a perfect season with a 17-14 win in Super Bowl XLII.The Giants have gone seven years without a losing record under Coughlin, the franchise’s longest stretch since they had 10 in a row during 1954-’63. Coughlin has led New York to five postseason appearances, which ties him with former coach and Hall of Fame finalist Bill Parcells for the most in franchise history. His 153 wins, including an 11-7 mark in the postseason, rank 18th all time. And his seven career postseason road wins tied former Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry for the most all time.Giants owner John Mara never lost confidence in Coughlin’s management style.“Too many people make too big a deal out of, ‘He brings discipline and everything,’ ” Mara said. “We just felt like he was a winner and he would work so hard and be so devoted to putting a winning team on the field, and that’s what we were looking for: A guy who was that dedicated and that hard-working and didn’t care about his image and doing TV commercials or whatever. “It’s a week-by-week business. You’re on top of the world one week and you lose a couple games and you’re at the bottom, but you can’t let that affect your decision-making. You have to let the season play itself out because a lot of crazy things can happen. As long as you believe in the coaching staff, which we do, you have to have the faith to let them do their jobs. Fortunately, it’s worked out for us.”As the years played out, the frosty relationship between Coughlin and the players began to thaw after a near falling-out five years ago.“The attitude didn’t change, he stayed consistent,” said defensive end Justin Tuck. “I think we kind of got fed up with losing. We got fed up with people saying that our coach’s job was on the line every channel we turned to. “At the end of the day I commend him for being faithful and as strong-minded as he has been because he hasn’t changed his demeanor. He has probably loosened the reins a little as far as giving us a little more freedom as far as some say so in the locker room. At the end of the day this is a Coughlin-based football team and we are going to follow him until the end. That’s what’s changed.”Coughlin has also mellowed in his old age. He seems to be warmer and fuzzier.“Warmer? Fuzzier? I don’t know if I’d use those adjectives,” said guard Chris Snee, who is also Coughlin’s son-in-law, “but he’s lightened up a lot and we made reference to that four years ago when we were here.“How he kind of changed in that regard, getting to know players more, getting players to know the softer side of him, the side that family members see. He shows that, but then again he still has his beliefs that he sticks to. That’s what makes him more successful.”Coughlin admits he’s changed this season.“I think it’s important … you learn, develop, and change every year,” Coughlin said. “You have to bring a fresh approach each year to your team, especially when you’ve been doing it a few years in the same place. If I’ve changed, it’s been an attempt to motivate and put us in the best possible chance that we can be.“I think I’ve become more patient … picking my spots better in terms of the spontaneity that perhaps I would utilize in terms of trying to correct something right away. In this business, the people who sit in this chair basically do what they have to do and do what they believe in to get their team in the best position to win.”

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Coughlin goes from hot seat to Super Bowl

Perpetually troubled Coughlin on cusp of second Super Bowl title.

By RANDY COVITZ

The Kansas City Star

Bill Kostroun

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has had his ups and downs.

More News

NDIANAPOLIS -- I Every year, it seems, as the New York Giants’ season teeters toward a disappointing finish, coach Tom Coughlin finds himself listed in some ignominious company.

Coughlin, despite winning 10 or more games in four of the last seven seasons, including a Super Bowl championship four years ago, is an annual member of the club known as Coaches on the Hot Seat.

It was no different this season when the Giants, after a 6-2 start, lost five of six games and appeared likely to miss the postseason for the third straight year.

But Coughlin convinced his team it was not out of contention. The Giants went on to win, in effect, five elimination games — the last two in the regular season and three straight postseason games — on the way to a return to the Super Bowl, where they will face New England on Sunday.

If the Giants defeat the Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons, Coughlin’s place in history will be viewed differently than it was just a few weeks ago.

With two Super Bowl championships, he would have gone from the Hot Seat to the Hall of Fame. Coughlin, 65, has one more year left on his contract and now will certainly be given an extension that will take him through his retirement.

Coughlin isn’t surprised how quickly opinions changed on whether he should have been canned or headed for Canton.

“If you are coaching in this job,” Coughlin said, “you are either one or the other. I just keep the blinders on and go straight ahead. I don’t have anything to do with what is being said on the outside.

“I don’t let it affect me in any way. I do believe in the John Wooden statement: ‘We like praise, we don’t like criticism, but if you let either one affect your preparation, you have a problem.’ ”

Coughlin was anything but a popular coach with his Giants players when he took over in 2004 after he spent eight seasons as the original coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars.

Coughlin, a disciple of Bill Parcells as a Giants assistant for three years, including one Super Bowl championship, was gruff and tough with the Jaguars but guided them to the AFC championship game in just the second year of the franchise’s history and to four postseason berths in all.

He was even more demanding with the Giants, even fining players if they didn’t arrive for meetings at least five minutes early, known as Coughlin Time. Players complained, but Coughlin got their attention. By his third season, the Giants won it all, and did it the hard way as a wild card, winning three road playoff games, plus spoiling New England’s bid for a perfect season with a 17-14 win in Super Bowl XLII.

The Giants have gone seven years without a losing record under Coughlin, the franchise’s longest stretch since they had 10 in a row during 1954-’63. Coughlin has led New York to five postseason appearances, which ties him with former coach and Hall of Fame finalist Bill Parcells for the most in franchise history. His 153 wins, including an 11-7 mark in the postseason, rank 18th all time. And his seven career postseason road wins tied former Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry for the most all time.

Giants owner John Mara never lost confidence in Coughlin’s management style.

“Too many people make too big a deal out of, ‘He brings discipline and everything,’ ” Mara said. “We just felt like he was a winner and he would work so hard and be so devoted to putting a winning team on the field, and that’s what we were looking for: A guy who was that dedicated and that hard-working and didn’t care about his image and doing TV commercials or whatever.

“It’s a week-by-week business. You’re on top of the world one week and you lose a couple games and you’re at the bottom, but you can’t let that affect your decision-making. You have to let the season play itself out because a lot of crazy things can happen. As long as you believe in the coaching staff, which we do, you have to have the faith to let them do their jobs. Fortunately, it’s worked out for us.”

As the years played out, the frosty relationship between Coughlin and the players began to thaw after a near falling-out five years ago.

“The attitude didn’t change, he stayed consistent,” said defensive end Justin Tuck. “I think we kind of got fed up with losing. We got fed up with people saying that our coach’s job was on the line every channel we turned to.

“At the end of the day I commend him for being faithful and as strong-minded as he has been because he hasn’t changed his demeanor. He has probably loosened the reins a little as far as giving us a little more freedom as far as some say so in the locker room. At the end of the day this is a Coughlin-based football team and we are going to follow him until the end. That’s what’s changed.”

Coughlin has also mellowed in his old age. He seems to be warmer and fuzzier.

“Warmer? Fuzzier? I don’t know if I’d use those adjectives,” said guard Chris Snee, who is also Coughlin’s son-in-law, “but he’s lightened up a lot and we made reference to that four years ago when we were here.

“How he kind of changed in that regard, getting to know players more, getting players to know the softer side of him, the side that family members see. He shows that, but then again he still has his beliefs that he sticks to. That’s what makes him more successful.”

Coughlin admits he’s changed this season.

“I think it’s important … you learn, develop, and change every year,” Coughlin said. “You have to bring a fresh approach each year to your team, especially when you’ve been doing it a few years in the same place. If I’ve changed, it’s been an attempt to motivate and put us in the best possible chance that we can be.

“I think I’ve become more patient … picking my spots better in terms of the spontaneity that perhaps I would utilize in terms of trying to correct something right away. In this business, the people who sit in this chair basically do what they have to do and do what they believe in to get their team in the best position to win.”