Tom Coughlin facts for kids
Coughlin in 2013
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| Las Vegas Raiders | |
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| Position: | Consultant |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | August 31, 1946 Waterloo, New York, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Waterloo (NY) Central |
| College: | Syracuse |
| Undrafted: | 1968 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
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| As executive: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 170–150 (.531) |
| Postseason: | 12–7 (.632) |
| Career: | College: 28–23–2 (.547) Bowl games: 1–1 (.500) NFL: 182–157 (.537) Superbowl games: 2–0 (1.000) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Thomas Richard Coughlin (born August 31, 1946) is a famous American football coach and executive. He is currently a consultant for the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL.
Coughlin was the head coach for the New York Giants from 2004 to 2015. He led the Giants to win two Super Bowl championships: Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. Both times, they beat the New England Patriots.
Before joining the Giants, Coughlin was the first-ever head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He coached them from 1995 to 2002. He also coached the Boston College Eagles football team from 1991 to 1993.
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Tom Coughlin's Early Life and College Years
Tom Coughlin was born in Waterloo, New York, in 1946. He played both football and basketball in high school. He even played a high school basketball game against future Syracuse University Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim.
Coughlin looked up to Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. He dreamed of playing football at Syracuse University.
College Football at Syracuse
Coughlin received a scholarship to Syracuse University. He played halfback for the Syracuse Orange football team for three years. His teammates included future Hall of Famers Larry Csonka and Floyd Little.
In 1967, he set a school record for pass receiving in a single season. After graduating, he stayed at Syracuse. He earned his master's degree while working as a graduate assistant coach.
Coughlin's Coaching Style and Approach
Tom Coughlin learned a lot from Bill Parcells, a well-known coach. Coughlin worked under Parcells as a wide receivers coach for the Giants.
Like Parcells, Coughlin is known for being very strict. He pays close attention to every small detail. This earned him the nickname "Colonel Coughlin." He was famous for setting clocks ahead by 5 to 15 minutes. This made sure players arrived early for team meetings. He even fined players for being two minutes early, saying they should have been five minutes early!
Tom Coughlin's Coaching Journey
Coughlin's first coaching job was in 1969. He was a graduate assistant at his old school, Syracuse. Then, he became a head coach for the first time at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) from 1970 to 1973.
He returned to Syracuse as a Quarterback coach. Later, he became the offensive coordinator from 1976 to 1980. After that, he coached quarterbacks at Boston College from 1981 to 1983, where he coached famous player Doug Flutie.
After his college coaching, Coughlin moved to the NFL. He coached wide receivers for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants. While with the Giants, he helped them win Super Bowl XXV as an assistant coach.
Leading the Boston College Eagles (1991−1993)
After 1990, Coughlin went back to Boston College as their head coach. In just three seasons, he made the team a strong winner. A big highlight was their 41–39 victory over the top-ranked Notre Dame in 1993. This was the first time Boston College had ever beaten Notre Dame.
Starting the Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–2002)
Coughlin's success at Boston College led him to become the first head coach of the new NFL team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had a lot of power over the team's football decisions.
During his eight seasons in Jacksonville, Coughlin built the most successful new team in NFL history. The Jaguars made it to the playoffs four times in a row. They also reached the AFC Championship Game twice.
In 1996, only their second year, the Jaguars made the playoffs on the very last day. They then surprised everyone by beating the strong Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. Coughlin was named NFL Coach of the Year that year.
In 1999, Coughlin led the Jaguars to an amazing 14–2 record, which was the best in the league. However, they lost both AFC Championship Games they played in. After a 6–10 season in 2002, Coughlin was fired by the team owner. He finished his time in Jacksonville with a 68–60 regular season record.
Years later, in 2011, the Jaguars' former owner said that firing Coughlin was one of his biggest regrets.
Coaching the New York Giants (2004–2015)
After a year off, Coughlin became the head coach of the New York Giants in 2004. The team had finished 4–12 the year before.
When Coughlin arrived, the Giants traded for quarterback Eli Manning. Manning became the team's starting quarterback. Coughlin also helped star running back Tiki Barber fix his fumbling problem. Barber's fumbles greatly decreased, and his performance improved a lot.
In 2005, the Giants went 11–5 and won their division. However, they lost their first playoff game. The team faced some challenges and criticism during these early years.
Winning the Super Bowl in 2007
In the 2007 season, the Giants started 0–2 but then won six games in a row. They had a great record on the road and made it to the playoffs. They won their first playoff game in seven years against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Then, they upset the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers to reach Super Bowl XLII. This was Coughlin's first Super Bowl as a head coach.
The Super Bowl was on February 3, 2008. Coughlin's Giants (13–6) played against the undefeated New England Patriots (18–0). The Patriots were expected to win easily. But the Giants, as underdogs, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history, winning 17–14. This victory gave Coughlin his first Super Bowl ring as a head coach.
After the Super Bowl win, Coughlin and the Giants were invited to the White House by President Bush. Coughlin also signed a new contract to coach the Giants through 2011.
Another Super Bowl Victory in 2011
The 2011 season was tough. Many experts thought the Giants wouldn't do well. After starting 6–2, they lost four games in a row. But they fought back, winning three of their last four games to finish 9–7 and win their division.
In the playoffs, they beat the Atlanta Falcons and then surprised everyone again by beating the strong Green Bay Packers, who had a 15–1 record. The next week, they won a close game against the San Francisco 49ers in overtime. This set up another Super Bowl rematch with the New England Patriots.
On February 5, 2012, Coughlin's Giants defeated the Patriots 21–17 in Super Bowl XLVI. At the time, Coughlin became the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl. He later signed a contract extension to stay with the Giants until at least 2014.
Later Years with the Giants (2012–2015)
After their second Super Bowl win, the Giants missed the playoffs in 2012, even though they started strong. In 2013, they had a very difficult start, losing their first six games. However, they showed great spirit and won some games later in the season. They finished 7–9, which was Coughlin's first losing record since his first season in 2004.
Coughlin signed contract extensions in 2014 and 2015. However, the Giants struggled in the 2015 season. Many of their losses were by a small amount of points in the final minutes.
On January 4, 2016, Coughlin announced he was stepping down as head coach for the Giants. He later said that the Giants had asked him to resign. He was replaced by Ben McAdoo.
Tom Coughlin's Executive Roles
Working for the NFL (2016)
In July 2016, Coughlin was hired by the NFL itself. He became a senior advisor for their football operations department.
Returning to the Jacksonville Jaguars (2017–2019)
In 2017, Coughlin returned to the Jaguars as the executive vice president of football operations. This meant he had the final say on many football decisions for the team.
In January 2018, the Jaguars reached the AFC Championship for the first time since Coughlin was their head coach in 1999. His contract with the Jaguars was extended through 2021.
However, on December 18, 2019, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan fired Coughlin. This decision came after the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) announced they had won a complaint against the Jaguars. The NFLPA said the Jaguars had unfairly fined a player. The NFLPA even warned other players about signing with the Jaguars because of concerns about how players were treated.
Tom Coughlin's Personal Life
Tom Coughlin is the oldest of seven children. He and his wife, Judy, had two daughters and two sons. His daughter Kate is married to former Giants player Chris Snee. Coughlin has eleven grandchildren. He lives in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Sadly, Judy was diagnosed with a serious illness in 2021 and passed away in November 2022.
In 2009, Coughlin visited Iraq with other NFL coaches to support the troops. They even stayed in one of Saddam Hussein's old palaces.
In 2012, the U.S. Army gave Coughlin a special award, the Outstanding Civilian Service Award. This was for his important contributions to the Army community.
Coughlin has been honored by both the Giants and the Jaguars. In 2016, he was added to the New York Giants Ring of Honor. In 2023, it was announced he would be inducted into the Pride of the Jaguars.
In July 2020, Coughlin had a biking accident. He broke four ribs, punctured a lung, and needed stitches on his head.
Life After Coaching
In February 2023, Coughlin released his memoir, A Giant Win. This book is about the Giants' historic Super Bowl XLII victory.
After former Giants player Antonio Pierce became the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, Coughlin was hired as a consultant for the team.
In 2023 and 2024, Coughlin was named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Jay Fund Foundation
Coughlin started the Jay Fund in 1996 while coaching in Jacksonville, Florida. The foundation is officially called the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation. It is named after Jay McGillis, a Boston College player who sadly passed away from leukemia while Coughlin was his coach.
This non-profit organization helps children with leukemia and other cancers, along with their families. It provides emotional and financial support to make their lives a little easier during treatment. By early 2020, the fund had given out over $13 million and helped more than 5,000 families.
Images for kids
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Coughlin (shown here at the New York Giants Super Bowl Ticker Tape parade in New York City February 5, 2008) has three Super Bowl Championships to his credit with the New York Giants - one as an assistant coach, and two as head coach
