Tom Coughlin raves about Jaguars’ ‘never say die’ attitude

Tom Coughlin is impressed with the job Doug Pederson has done in Jacksonville.

Tom Coughlin’s career as a coach and executive in the NFL is over now, but that doesn’t mean the 76-year old isn’t watching the Jacksonville Jaguars anymore.

In an interview with First Coast News, the former Jaguars coach and executive vice president raved about the job that Doug Pederson did with the team in 2022.

“Doug Pederson did a great job, hands down,” Coughlin said. “Can you imagine at 3-7 saying, ‘I have a vision. I see us playing the Tennessee Titans on Week 18 for the divisional title.’ What are you crazy? You look like a bunch of…

“He had the audacity to say that, but you know what’s returned? They do believe in each other. Fourth quarter wins, never say die. Now that’s been missing around here for a long, long time. Never say die. That same team the year before, things are not going their way? The last team that I was with here, things aren’t going their way? They’re checking out.”

The Jaguars finished the regular season on a five-game win streak that included a 17-point comeback against the Dallas Cowboys and a come-from-behind win against the Titans in Week 18. Then in the playoffs, Jacksonville erased a 27-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers.

Coughlin previously coached the Jaguars for the first eight seasons of the franchise’s history. After 12 seasons coaching the New York Giants, Coughlin returned to the Jaguars as an executive in 2017 and spent three years in the role.

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Tom Coughlin: Parting with Giants was very painful

Tom Coughlin says parting ways with the New York Giants was “painful” and he wishes he could have coached them for at least five more years.

The last time the New York Giants were champions, Tom Coughlin was the head coach. He led Big Blue to a pair of Super Bowl victories over Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots but his departure from the team after the 2015 season is still very much a topic of conversation.

The Giants framed Coughlin’s exit as a ‘retirement’ but during the press conference, he revealed that he wanted to continue coaching.

The Giants had just completed their third consecutive losing season and fourth without a postseason appearance. It was time for Coughlin to step aside, even if many felt the team’s demise was not on his shoulders alone.

In an interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post, Coughlin spoke about what it meant to him to run the Giants for 12 seasons.

“It meant everything to me. I’m a New York kid, I was born and raised in Waterloo, New York, the black-and-white TV, all I ever saw were the Giants and the Browns,” Coughlin said. “Thinking that I would ever have a chance to be there, and then be there with Wellington Mara as the owner, then the second time around with Bob Tisch there … incredible memories, and I was very honored and very thrilled and very humbled to be a head coach of the New York Giants.”

Serby asked Coughlin if he had any regrets about his tenure with the Giants.

“I regret the fact that I didn’t coach in New York for another five years,” he said laughingly. “I loved the position that I was in. Given the circumstances, we were trying to win games the best we could, that’s all. Would have been nice to finish there.”

Asked if it hurt to be let go by the Giants, Coughlin did not hold back.

“Oh, it hurts a lot, you kiddin’ me? It’s very, very painful. There’s a lot of pride at stake. It’s happened to me before and I didn’t like it, and I don’t like anything about it. It’s reality, so you move on,” Coughlin said.

Now that he is essentially out of the game, the 76-year-old is on many experts’ lists for Hall of Fame consideration. In the interview, he had many sentiments about his late wife, Judy, who passed away last year, the players (including Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, and Odell Beckham Jr.), the fans, and also spoke about what makes him worthy to be enshrined in Canton.

“I hope it’s the way in which I conducted myself,” he said. “The fact that when I took over the Jacksonville Jaguars, this was an expansion team, and in the first five years we were in the AFC Championship Game twice.

“It was an opportunity to put people together from all walks of life in football and start from scratch, and I certainly enjoyed the challenge of that, the historical challenge was very meaningful to me. My experiences as a head coach at Boston College, and working for Bill Parcells with the Giants and Super Bowl 1990 had a tremendous impact on me. And despite slow ups and downs, obviously, ’07 and ’08, and ’11 and ’12 were pretty good years for us in New York.”

Coughlin said he did not know who would present him for enshrinement when that day came saying he’s not looking that far ahead, but his choice likely won’t be a surprise (Eli, Strahan, Chris Snee, perhaps?).

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Steve Spagnuolo: Tom Coughlin deserves to be in Hall of Fame

Steve Spagnuolo believes retired New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been around the NFL block a few times as both a head coach and an assistant.

This Sunday, Spagnuolo will be coaching in a fifth Super Bowl and fourth under head coach Andy Reid. Spags, as he is known, first reached the big game back in 2004 as the linebackers coach for Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia fell to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX, 24-21, that year in Jacksonville. But Spags caught the eye of New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, who poached him from Philly in 2007 to become the Giants’ defensive coordinator. 

In his first season as Giants’ DC, Spagnuolo’s unit led Big Blue all the way back to the Super Bowl where this time, he beat the Patriots, 17-14, ending New England’s quest for an undefeated season.

After the Giants, Spags would bounce around the league, first as the head coach of the pitiful St. Louis Rams and then made stops in New Orleans, Baltimore, and the Giants again before returning with Reid in Kansas City, where they have won three AFC Championships and another Super Bowl together.

Reid is certainly headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but Spagnuolo believes Coughlin should also be enshrined in Canton.

“How fortunate am I to have worked with two Hall of Famers?” Spagnuolo said in his Media Day interview on Monday. “They’ll both be in the Hall of Fame — if they’re not, something’s wrong. It can’t get any better for me. Who would’ve thought a short, white guy from Grafton, Massachusetts, would work for two Hall of Fame head coaches and go to a few Super Bowls and experience a couple of wins? I pinch myself a lot. I consider myself very, very fortunate.”

Of all of the Super Bowl experiences Spagnuolo has had, he rates his trip with the Giants the highest because the Patriots had “the greatest offense ever to have been put out there.”

“What the Patriots did — going undefeated, Tom Brady, Moss, the whole matchup — that was a pretty big challenge. I’m not sure I’ve had to face that kind of challenge since then. Now, you get into a Super Bowl, and they’re all huge challenges. But that was a pretty special thing,” Spagnuolo said.

This Sunday, Spags faces one of his former teams in the high-powered Eagles, and revealed he and his wife still have a home there.

“We’ll always have ties there. Isn’t that funny? I still have a home there, and now we’re playing them in the Super Bowl. We spend a lot of time in the offseason — it’s Philadelphia, and it’s the Jersey Shore,” Spagnuolo said. “That part of the country is always going to be part of me. Wouldn’t you know, we played the Patriots in some Super Bowls. And now we’re playing the Eagles in some others. So, eastern guy.”

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Tom Coughlin named Walter Camp ‘Distinguished American’ Award winner

Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been named the 2023 Walter Camp ‘Distinguished American’ Award winner.

Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been named the 2023 Walter Camp “Distinguished American” Award winner.

Coughlin will be honored at the 57th National Awards Dinner, presented by 777 Partners, on Saturday, March 11.

The Walter Camp “Distinguished American” award is presented each year to an individual who has utilized his or her talents to attain great success in business, private life, or public service and who may have accomplished that which no other has done. He or she may have a record of dedication to mankind that should not pass unrecognized and a life that has been dedicated to the preservation of the American ideal.

The recipient need not have participated in football but must be one who understands its lesson of self-denial, cooperation, and teamwork, and one who is a person of honesty, integrity, and dedication. He or she must be a leader, an innovator, even a pioneer, who has reached a degree of excellence that distinguishes him or her from contemporaries, as well as someone who lives within the principles of Walter Camp.

Coughlin, who played football at Syracuse, won three Super Bowl titles with the Giants, including two as their head coach. He was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor in 2016 and compiled a record of 102-90 (.531) in 12 seasons with New York.

In addition to his football accolades, Coughlin is also the founder and president of the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, which recently added a caregivers program in honor of his late wife, Judy.

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Tom Coughlin offers his opinion on Brian Daboll resting Giants starters

Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin offers his opinion on Brian Daboll resting his starters in Week 18 against the Eagles.

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The New York Giants will rest many of their starters in Week 18 against the Philadelphia Eagles, which has proven to be a rather controversial decision.

Many believe head coach Brian Daboll is making a mistake and potentially costing his team some momentum headed into the playoffs. They will argue that it’s a “losers mentality.”

On the opposite end of that spectrum, many others believe it’s the right call for these Giants. They’re thin up and down their roster and are finally coming into some health at the most opportune time. Why risk it against the Eagles with absolutely nothing to gain?

The reason for the discrepancy in opinion dates back to 2007. You may recall that the Giants opted to play their starters in Week 17 against the New England Patriots, who were 15-0 at the time and chasing history.

The Giants played the Patriots well in that game and nearly upset their eventual Super Bowl XLII opponents. In the end however, head coach Tom Coughlin pulled his starters late and Big Blue came up just short.

They also suffered several key injuries in that game, including center Shaun O’Hara and cornerback Sam Madison. And while those Giants were able to overcome those injuries, the current Giants wouldn’t necessarily be so lucky.

So what does Coughlin think of Daboll’s decision headed into Sunday?

“Brian has done a great job with his team,” Coughlin told Tom Rock of Newsday. “His team has bought in. They’re playing hard. The coaches have done an outstanding job and they have really taken their athletes and improved them and they are playing really well. Brian will make the right decision about all of that.”

Coughlin refused to say that Daboll is making mistake, instead pointing out the obvious: Circumstances in 2007 were very different than they are here in 2023.

“We’re talking about 15 years ago and a circumstance and a situation,” Coughlin said. “We did the right thing. Whatever Brian does, I’m sure it will be the right thing, too.”

What Coughlin did in 2007 was best for his team. What Daboll is doing here in 2023 is what he believes is best for his team.

Time will tell if the right decision has been made.

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Tom Coughlin recently addressed Giants players

Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin recently found his way to East Rutherford where he addressed the team.

Last week, former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin found his way back to East Rutherford. And while there, he took a moment to address the team as they enter a crucial stretch of the season.

“The overall message is tradition and just thinking through hard times and good times and sharing them and letting the players know that in New York, if you order a vanilla milkshake, 50 percent of the people are criticizing and the other 50 percent might think it’s a good idea,” Coughlin told The Athletic.

“You’ve got to fight your way through some things. You can’t let that get you down. And recognizing the great Giant franchise, the red, white and the blue, and being in a tremendous division — it’s right back to where it seemingly was always with all teams competing for a spot in the playoffs. So there’s a lot to put your arms around as a Giant now.”

The Giants are mired in a rough stretch, going 0-3-1 over their last four games. However, their playoff fate remains very much in their own hands and a win on Sunday night against the Washington Commanders would steady a rocking ship.

Coughlin has seen his fair share of rough stretches and heard the whispers of doubt. If there was anyone suited to speak to this Giants team, it was most certainly him.

Coughlin also expects current head coach Brian Daboll to deliver a powerful speech to the players ahead of their Week 15 game.

“I’m a teacher and not just an X’s and O’s guy. I always tried to teach my players about life and life’s lessons and virtues and values and family and that type of thing. There’s always information, and there’s always a way to do it, and I’m sure that the use of those different means of inspiration are always used. I’m sure Brian is reaching down into his bag of tricks right now,” Coughlin said.

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Tom Coughlin talks new book, Super Bowl XLII in 1-on-1 with Giants Wire

Tom Coughlin sits down with Giants Wire to discuss his new book, Super Bowl XLII, the Jay Fund Foundation and much, much more.

Legendary New York Giants head coach and two-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Coughlin, is releasing his newest book next week. And t former Giants head coach sat down with Giants Wire to talk about it — and many other things..

The book, titled “A Giant Win: Inside the New York Giants’ Historic Upset over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII,” breaks down Super Bowl XLII and parts of the season that led up what Coughlin calls “the greatest underdog Super Bowl victory in history.”

The book gives Giants fans the angle from the coach’s point of view and goes through some details that most Big Blue fans don’t know and other facts that fans may have forgotten about.

Coughlin is also very proud of his work done through his foundation “The Jay Fund” which he also reflected on during the interview.

The book will be released on December 6 and it is one any Giants fan will want to pickup.

Judy Coughlin, wife of ex-Giants coach Tom Coughlin, dies at 77

Judy Coughlin, the wife of former New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin, has passed away after a battle with progressive supranuclear palsy.

Judy Coughlin, the wife of former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, has passed away at the age of 77.

“My cherished wife and our beloved mother and grandmother, Judy Whitaker Coughlin, passed away this morning at the age of 77,” Tom wrote in a statement. “Judy was a remarkable woman in every way. She lived a life filled with love and unselfishly gave her heart and soul to others. Judy made you feel like an old friend from the first hug to the last. She was a mother to all on and off the field.

“For everyone who knew and loved Judy, the enormity of her absence cannot be put into words, but the immense kindness she showed to others will always endure. Our hearts are broken, but we know she is free from suffering and at peace with our Lord.”

The two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach revealed in 2021 that Judy had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy — a brain disorder that is incurable.

“Our hearts are broken. Judy has been everything to our family. For the past four years, we’ve helplessly watched her go from a gracious woman with a gift for conversation, hugging all the people she met and making them feel they were the most important person in the room, to losing almost all ability to speak and move,” Tom wrote in a New York Times article.

“She used to enjoy planning family get-togethers, going for morning walks and caring for her rosebushes; however, those activities are but distant memories. Her days are now filled with lying in bed, watching the Hallmark Channel, sitting in a wheelchair in the sun and receiving round-the-clock care. And what’s worse, she is trapped inside a body that will not allow her to be the person she was.”

During Super Bowl Sunday in February, Tom paid tribute to Judy with a special that aired on NBC.

Because of Judy’s progressive supranuclear palsy, Tom became a full-time caregiver. As a result of that experience, the Jay Fund Foundation added a caregiver program to their many charitable initiatives.

Judy was a rock for Tom throughout his life and career. She was a wonderful wife, daughter, mother and grandmother. She helped Tom become more personable during his time with the Giants, which facilitated a locker-room change that led the organization to two titles.

“We were saddened to hear of Judy’s passing this morning. She was an incredibly bright light for all of us, and we were blessed that she shared her energy, vitality and love with our organization,” Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said in a statement. “As Tom has often noted, his role as head coach ended at the front porch. When he walked through the door, Judy was the boss. Our thoughts are with Tom and the entire Coughlin family.”

More than anything else, Judy was a remarkable philanthropist who never stopped helping those in need.

Those of us at Giants Wire offer our thoughts and prayers to Tom, his family and their many, many friends.

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Tom Coughlin has simple advice for Giants coach Brian Daboll: ‘Win’

Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has simple advice for Brian Daboll on how to last in East Rutherford: “Win.”

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has developed a relationship with former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin since arriving in New Jersey.

The pair have spoken on a number of occasions and even had lunch with quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this year. Their conversations have centered around football, as you might expect, and other more casual topics.

On Friday night in New York City, Coughlin and the Jay Fund Foundation held their annual Champions for Children Gala. During the event, Coughlin was asked what advice he might have for Daboll when it comes to lasting in East Rutherford.

Coughlin’s answer was blunt and simple.

“Win,” he said, via the New York Post.

Coughlin’s early impressions of Daboll are positive. He believes the Giants have found themselves a solid coach for the first time since, well… Coughlin himself.

“To the extent that I have been around and known Brian, he’s a very good man, he’s a good football coach, he’s doing it for all the right reasons,” Coughlin said. “He’s excited to be the head coach of the New York Giants, and when you look at the passageway from which he came, he’s very well-prepared for this job.”

Daboll and the Giants are, of course, off to an impressive and unlikely 5-1 start. But there’s still a long way to go says co-owner John Mara.

“Things are going well so far,” Mara said. “But we haven’t exactly booked a reservation at the Canyon of Heroes just yet.”

Precious few expect that parade to come this season but for the first time in a decade, it does appear as if the Giants are on the right track.

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Flashback Friday: Giants, Tom Coughlin fall to Jaguars in 2006

Following a 6-2 start in 2006, the New York Giants began to fall apart, including an ugly loss to Tom Coughlin’s former team, the Jaguars.

The New York Giants (5-1) are heading down to Jacksonville to face the 2-4 Jaguars this Sunday and are hoping to finally win a game in Duval County. They are 0-3 all-time in the River City.

Today’s flashback is an ugly one from 2006, when Tom Coughlin, the inaugural coach of the Jaguars from 1995-2002, led his 6-3 Giants into Alltel Stadium to face the 5-4 Jags and coach Jack Del Rio. It was Coughlin’s first time facing his old team, and emotions were high.

The Jaguars still had many familiar faces (13 to be exact) from Coughlin’s tenure, most notably running back Fred Taylor, quarterback David Garrard, safety Donovan Darius and defensive tackles John Henderson and Marcus Stroud.

The Giants entered the Monday night contest coming off a flat performance in Week 10 against Chicago, which stopped a five-game winning streak. They were without defensive ends Michael Strahan (foot) and Osi Umenyiora (hip), cornerback Sam Madison (quadriceps), linebacker Brandon Short (quadriceps) and offensive tackle Luke Petitgout (leg).

The Giants opened the scoring with a 40-yard field goal from Jay Feely. It would be their only lead of the night. The Jaguars hammered the listless Giants, 26-10.

Eli Manning went 19-of-41 for 230 yards, but most of that came in garbage time. He did find Plaxico Burress for a 25-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to narrow the Jags’ lead to 13-10, but then the wheels came off. Jacksonville scored 13 unanswered points to close out the game.

“Mainly,” Manning said, “I’ve got to start playing better football.”

He wasn’t alone. Running back Tiki Barber, who had rushed for over 100 yards in five of the previous six games, was held to just 27 yards on the ground.

Coughlin was not pleased with his team’s turkey of a performance three days before Thanksgiving.

“We weren’t successful,” Coughlin said. “It was a very disappointing game for us. There are an awful lot of plays that we’re leaving out on the field. We’re just not making any plays.”

The Giants were in a free fall, losing the next two weeks to even their record at 6-6 after a promising 6-2 start. They ended up 8-8 and in the wild-card round, which they lost 23-20, to the Philadelphia Eagles. The next season, however, they would win the Super Bowl.

Coughlin would face the Jaguars twice more as Giants head coach. In 2010, they beat the Jags, 24-20, at the new Meadowlands Stadium.

In 2014, Coughlin’s crew fumbled away a 21-0 lead to lose 25-24 down in Jacksonville.

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