RoanokeFan
05-22-2012, 11:47 AM
RETIREMENT NOT ON THE MIND OF GIANTS' HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN (http://www.giants101.com/2012/05/22/retirement-not-on-the-mind-of-new-york-giants-head-coach-tom-coughlin/)
"New York (http://www.giants101.com/tag/new-york/)
Giants head coach <a class="st_tag internal_tag" title="Posts tagged with Tom Coughlin" href="http://www.giants101.com/tag/tom-coughlin/" rel="tag nofollow">Tom
Coughlin</a> is three months shy of his 66th birthday. He's been a coach in the
NFL (http://www.giants101.com/tag/nfl/) since 1984
(save for a three year gap from 1991-1993) and is currently the oldest head
coach in the league. He's won two Lombardi Trophy's over the last five seasons
and no one would question him if he decided it was time to walk away from the
game. But that's not going to happen. Not only will Coughlin return for the
2012-2013 season, but he'll likely remain with the team for quite some time.
Speaking at the 17th annual <a href="http://tcjayfund.org/" target="_blank">Jay
Fund Foundation</a> golf tournament on Monday to benefit those battling cancer,
Coughlin reiterated his desire to continue coaching (http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400617/gene-frenette/2012-05-21/gene-frenette-energized-tom-coughlin-nowhere-near) in the NFL (http://www.giants101.com/tag/nfl/).
<blockquote>
"I'm not mentally, not physically, ready [to retire]," said Coughlin. "I feel
I have good energy. I'm excited every day. The competitiveness, the nature of
the business, is something that I'm still excited about. I don't wander down
that path. I don't think about retirement. I enjoy the situation I'm in. I
appreciate the backing I've received from [Giants] ownership and the way the
players have responded to our program."</p></blockquote>
As recently as last week, Giants co-owner John Mara said the team was working diligently on a contract extension (http://www.giants101.com/2012/05/17/new-york-giants-john-mara-on-tom-coughlins-new-deal-were-working-on-it/) for Coughlin, which
is poised to be significantly longer than the one-year extension he received a
year ago … which is somewhat ironic given Coughlin's thoughts on all contracts
in the NFL (http://www.giants101.com/tag/nfl/).</p>
<blockquote>
"I really don't feel any pull or tug in another direction. I look at it on a
yearly basis. In our business, no matter how many years they give you on the
contract, it's a one-year deal anyway," Coughlin added.</p></blockquote>
Since Coughlin's transformation following the 2006 season, the mood amongst
his players has changed substantially. Still an old-school disciplinarian, Coach
Coughlin has managed to earn a tremendous amount of respect by allowing a
two-way street of communication to open between he and his players. And the man
who was once accused of driving running back Tiki Barber to retirement is now
the same man who was visibly beloved by his players in 2011 (http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-locker-room-mvps/09000d5d823dcaf2/Giants-celebrate-comeback-win-vs-Patriots).</p>
Coughlin has gone from the hot seat to immortality, and some even believe he
deserves an open-ended contract with Big Blue (http://www.giants101.com/2012/04/01/tom-coughlin-deserves-open-ended-contract-with-new-york-giants/).</p>
In eight years with Big Blue, Coughlin has experienced only one losing season
– his first (6-10 in 2004). Since then, he has compiled a 68-44 regular season
record, a 8-3 playoff record and, of course, has brought the Lombardi Trophy
home twice."</p>
"New York (http://www.giants101.com/tag/new-york/)
Giants head coach <a class="st_tag internal_tag" title="Posts tagged with Tom Coughlin" href="http://www.giants101.com/tag/tom-coughlin/" rel="tag nofollow">Tom
Coughlin</a> is three months shy of his 66th birthday. He's been a coach in the
NFL (http://www.giants101.com/tag/nfl/) since 1984
(save for a three year gap from 1991-1993) and is currently the oldest head
coach in the league. He's won two Lombardi Trophy's over the last five seasons
and no one would question him if he decided it was time to walk away from the
game. But that's not going to happen. Not only will Coughlin return for the
2012-2013 season, but he'll likely remain with the team for quite some time.
Speaking at the 17th annual <a href="http://tcjayfund.org/" target="_blank">Jay
Fund Foundation</a> golf tournament on Monday to benefit those battling cancer,
Coughlin reiterated his desire to continue coaching (http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400617/gene-frenette/2012-05-21/gene-frenette-energized-tom-coughlin-nowhere-near) in the NFL (http://www.giants101.com/tag/nfl/).
<blockquote>
"I'm not mentally, not physically, ready [to retire]," said Coughlin. "I feel
I have good energy. I'm excited every day. The competitiveness, the nature of
the business, is something that I'm still excited about. I don't wander down
that path. I don't think about retirement. I enjoy the situation I'm in. I
appreciate the backing I've received from [Giants] ownership and the way the
players have responded to our program."</p></blockquote>
As recently as last week, Giants co-owner John Mara said the team was working diligently on a contract extension (http://www.giants101.com/2012/05/17/new-york-giants-john-mara-on-tom-coughlins-new-deal-were-working-on-it/) for Coughlin, which
is poised to be significantly longer than the one-year extension he received a
year ago … which is somewhat ironic given Coughlin's thoughts on all contracts
in the NFL (http://www.giants101.com/tag/nfl/).</p>
<blockquote>
"I really don't feel any pull or tug in another direction. I look at it on a
yearly basis. In our business, no matter how many years they give you on the
contract, it's a one-year deal anyway," Coughlin added.</p></blockquote>
Since Coughlin's transformation following the 2006 season, the mood amongst
his players has changed substantially. Still an old-school disciplinarian, Coach
Coughlin has managed to earn a tremendous amount of respect by allowing a
two-way street of communication to open between he and his players. And the man
who was once accused of driving running back Tiki Barber to retirement is now
the same man who was visibly beloved by his players in 2011 (http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-locker-room-mvps/09000d5d823dcaf2/Giants-celebrate-comeback-win-vs-Patriots).</p>
Coughlin has gone from the hot seat to immortality, and some even believe he
deserves an open-ended contract with Big Blue (http://www.giants101.com/2012/04/01/tom-coughlin-deserves-open-ended-contract-with-new-york-giants/).</p>
In eight years with Big Blue, Coughlin has experienced only one losing season
– his first (6-10 in 2004). Since then, he has compiled a 68-44 regular season
record, a 8-3 playoff record and, of course, has brought the Lombardi Trophy
home twice."</p>