Tom Coughlin has served as head coach of the New York Giants since the 2004 NFL Season. He was born on August 31, 1946, and is one of the oldest head coaches in the NFL. Coughlin won Super Bowl XLII in his tenure as head coach with the Giants.
Tom Coughlin is a disciple of legendary coach Bill Parcells. He learned under Parcells when he was with the New York Giants from 1988-1990. Coughlin is known throughout the league as a stern disciplinarian and for his attention to detail. His teams tend to commit fewer turnovers and penalties than other teams in the league. Often this style clashes with players, as noted by outspoken stars such as Tiki Barber and Plaxico Burress who felt this type of attitude ruined relationships rather than improved the team.
Coughlin was born in Waterloo, New York and attended Waterloo High School, where he starred at running back. He went on to play football for Syracuse University and was teammates with Larry Csonka and Floyd Little.
Coughlin’s first head coaching job was at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he served from 1970 to 1973. In 1974, he returned to Syracuse University to take a job as the quarterbacks coach. A year later, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. In 1981, he left Syracuse to become the quarterbacks coach at Boston College, where he coached Doug Flutie.
After two years at Boston College, Tom Coughlin took a job with the Philadelphia Eagles as a wide receiver coach. A year later he served at the same position for the Green Bay Packers, and in 1988, he had his first stint with the New York Giants as a wide receivers coach.
In 1991, Tom Coughlin returned to college football where he was made head coach of Boston College. Coughlin had three winning seasons with the BC Eagles. His success here led to his hiring as the first head coach of one of the NFL’s expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
From 1995 to 2002, Tom Coughlin coached the most successful expansion team in NFL history. In his 8 seasons with the Jaguars, Coughlin made two appearances in the AFC Championship, but both times he was defeated. The Jaguars had a record of 68-60 in the regular season and 4-4 in the playoffs with Tom Coughlin at the helm.
Coughlin was named the New York Giants head coach in 2004, and in 2005, along with star quarterback Eli Manning, he led the Giants to an 11-5 record. This record was good enough to win the NFC East for the first time since 2000. Coughlin transformed an underachieving team into a Super Bowl contender.
In the 2007 season, the Giants started poorly with an 0-2 records, but quickly turned the season around, winning the next 6 straight games. Coughlin led the team to the playoffs, defeating Tampa Bay, Dallas, Packers, and eventually the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Tom Coughlin remains the Giants head coach in 2011. With Perry Fewell as his defensive coordinator, and team loaded with young talent and gutsy veterans, Coughlin hopes to return to the playoffs contend for a second Super Bowl title. In his tenure with the Giants, he is 68-48 in the regular season and 4-3 in the playoffs.
