Fate of Tom Coughlin to Be Determined Shortly: The fate of Head Coach Tom Coughlin is set to be determined shortly. In what may be a telling development, Coughlin did not hold his usual Monday press conference. Not only is this a normal occurrence after every Sunday regular season game, but Coughlin did so last year after the Panthers knocked the Giants out of the playoffs.
Newsday is reporting that Coughlin had his assistant coaches line up in the locker room and shake hands with the players. Various press reports indicate that Special Teams Coordinator Mike Sweatman is considering retirement.
It will be interesting to see if Coughlin participates in his scheduled weekly interview on WFAN this afternoon.
According to Newsday, a source told the paper that the coaches would meet this morning and decisions would be revealed. However, The Daily News reports that the meeting with the assistants was postponed so Coughlin could meet with the owners.
Coughlin did meet with his players and gave no indication that he was leaving. He also told them he would see them in March when the Giants’ offseason program begins.
Scott Pioli Turns Down the New York Giants: Patriots’ Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli, Bill Parcells’ son-in-law, has declined a request to be interviewed by the Giants for their soon-to-be vacant general manager position. As reported yesterday in “News and Notes,” the Giants did ask the Patriots for permission to interview Pioli this week. The Patriots apparently granted their permission, but Pioli said he was not interested in the Giants’ position.
The Patriots issued the following press release on behalf of Pioli:
I am very honored to be granted the opportunity to discuss a potential position with the New York Giants. I have tremendous respect for the Kraft family, the Mara family, the Tisch family and the Giants organization. After careful consideration, and for personal reasons, I am continuing in my current role with the New England Patriots.
Newsday reports that an NFL source told the paper yesterday that Patriots’ Head Coach Bill Belichick called Giants’ President and CEO John Mara last week to recommend Pioli for the general manager job.
With Pioli appearing to be out of the picture, newspapers such as The Bergen Record speculate that Giants’ Director of Player Personnel Jerry Reese will be the team’s new general manager.
New York Giants Turn Down Bill Parcells?: According to The Star-Ledger, Dallas Cowboys’ Head Coach Bill Parcells informed the Giants through an intermediary that he would be interested in becoming the Giants’ new general manager, but the team said it was not interested.
Yesterday, Adam Schefter of The NFL Network reported that Parcells was a contender for the Giants’ general manager position. Schefter said a high-ranking NFL source told him that while such a move is unlikely to occur, it was possible. Giants’ ownership, according to Schefter, has debated and is continuing to debate the merits of offering Parcells the position.
Giants Sign Tight End and Place Kicker: According to ProFootballWeekly.com and NFLPA.org, the Giants have signed TE Charles Davis and PK Josh Huston.
Notes and Quotes: P Jeff Feagles says he will likely return for one more season with the Giants.
OC Shaun O’Hara is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when free agency begins later this offseason: “I’ve said before that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my three years here,” said O’Hara. “I’m hoping (Sunday) wasn’t the last time I’ll put on a New York Giant uniform. I’ve never been more proud to associate myself with an organization than I have been for these last three years, so I’m hoping things will work out and I’ll be back.”
PK Jay Feely on the Giants and Head Coach Tom Coughlin: “We have some players who won’t submit to a coach, unequivocally, like we need to. Coach Coughlin is a disciplinarian, and sometimes that rubs players the wrong way. He’s not one of those touchy-feely type guys, and that’s why I think our chemistry teetered all year long, all the way from the beginning of training camp We were going through training camp and it seemed everyday we had guys trying to get the limelight on themselves by saying things controversial. You don’t hear that coming out of the Patriots. You always hear Tom Brady saying that we need to listen to our coaches I think (Coughlin’s) door is open, if you want to take advantage of that. But he’s not the easiest guy to talk to, and some guys may be intimidated. I’ve had many conversations with him, but you have to learn it’s a two-way street: You have to go in to do it, and you have to realize his personality as well A lot of guys don’t understand what it means to be disciplined and selfless,” he said. “Our younger generation, from mine on down, is a selfish generation. They don’t understand what it means to do things for other people. They look out for themselves. It’s not necessarily a team-first generation.”
One unidentified general manager of another team said the following about the Giants and Coughlin to The Daily News: “That team is underachieving. There is too much talent there. I don’t feel Tom has their respect. I don’t see the same grip on the players that I saw in Jacksonville. Obviously, it’s harder to do where he is now. He has bigger personalities.”
