Tom Coughlin has won two Super Bowls as the head coach of the New York Giants. He's also had back-to-back losing seasons. New York's recent struggles have fueled the fire that Coughlin's time with the Giants may be done, but others don't seem to think so.
"Those who know him [Giants owner John Mara] are convinced he doesn't want to fire Coughlin and it's no lock he'll do it," Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News wrote. "Many in the organization believe Mara [and co-owner Steve Tisch] will look for any reason to keep their two-time championship coach around."
Coughlin, 67, is the oldest coach in the NFL. Yet Vacchiano believes his steadying force is considered key to New York's decision makers.
"Stability matters: A few years ago, when Mara was explaining why he kept Coughlin after the tumultuous 2006 season, he spoke of his admiration for the Steelers, who have had just three head coaches in the last 45 years," Vacchiano wrote.
Another reason for keeping Coughlin around may be a lack of viable replacements. Believe it or not, there isn't a bevy of available coaches with multiple Lombardi Trophies.
"And who would be the next Coughlin?" Vacchiano wrote. "...Some of the biggest names (Cowher, Jon Gruden) have been out of football a long time. And the biggest name of all - Jim Harbaugh - seems a little too volatile for New York and the Giants organization...There's no Chip Kelly-like candidate in college who everyone is convinced will succeed in the pros. And while there are plenty of excellent assistants worthy of a chance, some of the hot names are retreads."
The best option appears to be a continuation on this current path with an eventual in-house successor.
"Keeping Coughlin for another year or two allows them to groom [offensive coordinator Ben] McAdoo for the job - or maybe even Steve Spagnuolo, if they choose to bring him back as defensive coordinator. If nothing else, Mara could argue, it gives them better options than they would seem to currently have."
