Why Tom Coughlin is my #1 coach on the ballot

[readjack]

The coaching ballot this year is going to be fascinating, with three head coaches with two rings apiece (Coughlin, Shanahan, Seifert) and one who has only one but also brought two franchises to a Super Bowl, with three total appearances (Holmgren). I would pick Clark Shaughnessy as a contributor but he feels off here. Full list: https://www.profootballhof.com/news/202 ... s-of-2025/

In any case, the discussion, right or not, about whether Eli Manning is a 1st ballot HOFer leads me to view Tom Coughlin as the clear cut #1 coaching candidate for the class of 2025. Unlike Shanahan and Seifert, Coughlin had incredible success with a second franchise, albeit his first, in Jacksonville. A head coach's impact is how his team performs, and Coughlin has two of the biggest upsets in NFL history: Jaguars-Broncos 1996 and Super Bowl XLII, both of which had Coughlin's teams as 12.5-point underdogs.

And unlike Shanahan, Seifert and Holmgren, Coughlin's Super Bowl champs were very light on individual talent. Some ways of thinking of it:

Players who would make Canton without a ring: Strahan
MVP ever: none
OPOY ever: none
DPOY ever: Strahan 2001
Pro Bowl in title season: Umenyiora '07, Manning '11, Pierre-Paul '11
1st team AP All Pro in title season: none
1st team AP All Pro ever: Strahan 4x, Umenyiora '05, Snee '08, Tuck '08, Pierre-Paul '11

Insane talent difference compared to Elway/TD/Sharpe/Atwater/Neil, Favre/Reggie/Butler, Montana/Young/Rice/Craig/Watters/Deion, etc.

Thoughts? Your choice?

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Coughlin's underrated, IMO. Had the Jaguars in the AFC Championship in their second year ever, then later won the SB 2x with the Giants. He's a good HOF choice. It would be nice to see him get in the same year as Eli, assuming Eli gets in this year.

My top pick is Dan Reeves. Player/coach in 2 SB, OC of SB Cowboys, won 3 out of 4 AFC Championships, then took the Falcons to the SB with a big upset in the NFC Championship. I know he had Elway but still - there's all this talk about that and then people complain that the Broncos supposedly weren't very good. So which is it to his critics? And it would be difficult to find someone that won the SB as a player/coach and as an OC and then went to the SB 4x as a HC. While I belive Coughlin is underrated, the uniqueness of Reeves' accomplishments is flat-out overlooked, IMHO.

[SeahawkFever]

I think Tom Coughlin has a good Hall of Fame case no doubt.
As for Eli, I wouldn't be opposed to him making it to Canton, but first ballot is a bit much. After all, the reason why some people don't think he's a Hall of Famer is because his career is going to look a bit underwhelming outside of the Super Bowls. Not all his fault necessarily, but it is what it is.

As for the other coaches you named, I'm leaning towards Shanahan, and Holmgren belonging in the Hall of Fame (both won at least one Super Bowl, and in the case of one, made two more and the other won two of them on top of at least solid win percentages), and I view Seifert as a Hall of Very Good coach.

In Seifert's case he had a very bad three year tenure in Carolina that I've seen some say leads to him coaching his way out of the Hall of Fame, and before then he has the tenure in San Francisco that puts him in the conversation in the first place, and resulted in one of the highest winning percentages for a coach that coached as many games as he had through 1996.

However at the same time, the Hall of Fame has put in another coach who had a somewhat similar career. Complete with two Super Bowl wins, and a three year tenure with another team that resulted in an even worse record: Tom Flores.

Granted, if you are one who is looking at talent, most of us would probably agree that the 1989 and 1994 49ers had much more talent than the 1980 and 1983 Raiders did, however Seifert won more playoff games outside of his two Super Bowl titles than Flores did, and had a higher win percentage overall.

[Brian wolf]

Good read, Jack ...

Since Parker cant get his due, I would go with Chuck Knox, who didnt win championships like the other coaches but has his place in NFL history, taking three different teams to the postseason. Yes Seifert, Coughlin and Shanahan won multiple championships but had great QBs as well, though Manning was only great for two hot postseason runs. Like Schottenheimer, Knox never had a great QB, but was instrumental in the development of a great one in Joe Namath, while teaching offensive linemen to be more aggressive with their hands and arms. Ironically, he ended his Rams tenure hoping Namath still had something left.

Holmgren, like Shanahan and Seifert, had stellar success as assistants, which pushes them ahead of Coughlin for me but Holmgren had the coaching tree as well. Its close but I feel had Knox had the QBs these coaches had, he would have gotten his championship. Just couldnt beat the Vikings, with his Rams team so close.

[readjack]

I would go with Chuck Knox, who didnt win championships like the other coaches but has his place in NFL history, taking three different teams to the postseason.

Interesting note Brian! Who else is on that list: 3 franchises to the playoffs? I'll start counting but I'm sure I'm missing some:

Parcells: Giants x5, Patriots x2, Jets x1, Cowboys x2
Knox: Rams x5, Bills x2, Seahawks x4
Schottenheimer: Browns x4, KC x7, Chargers x1
Reeves: Broncos x6, Giants x1, Falcons x2
Vermeil: Eagles x4, Rams x1, KC x1
Sort of Arians: Colts x1 (9-3 as interim), Cards x2, Bucs x2

[Brian wolf]

Jack, I predict Belichick will lead a third team to the postseason next year, depending on the fit. The Eagles may keep Sirianni after all and the Giants should give him a look. I dont feel Belichick will go to Dallas but could the Bucs or Jax entice him?

Coughlin did do a great job getting his team to play over their heads following the 2007, 2011 seasons but he might not have kept his job had Tiki Barber not ended the 2006 Giants season on a high note. You mentioned his success with the Jaguars and despite inconsistency, his offensive coach, Kevin Gilbride could utilize the talent on both clubs. The Giants had talent on those SB teams but injuries and free agency could hurt them as well. He lost AFC championship games to tough Patriots and Titans defenses but it prepared him for his future success as well. Very close to the other coaches.

My Top 5 Coaches Not In The HOF

Parker
Shaw
Knox
Shanahan
Holmgren

Shaughnessy is my top assistant, followed closely by Arnsparger and Alex Gibbs, who helped Shanahan succeed.

[rewing84]

Jack, I predict Belichick will lead a third team to the postseason next year, depending on the fit. The Eagles may keep Sirianni after all and the Giants should give him a look. I dont feel Belichick will go to Dallas but could the Bucs or Jax entice him?

Coughlin did do a great job getting his team to play over their heads following the 2007, 2011 seasons but he might not have kept his job had Tiki Barber not ended the 2006 Giants season on a high note. You mentioned his success with the Jaguars and despite inconsistency, his offensive coach, Kevin Gilbride could utilize the talent on both clubs. The Giants had talent on those SB teams but injuries and free agency could hurt them as well. He lost AFC championship games to tough Patriots and Titans defenses but it prepared him for his future success as well. Very close to the other coaches.

My Top 5 Coaches Not In The HOF

Parker
Shaw
Knox
Shanahan
Holmgren

Shaughnessy is my top assistant, followed closely by Arnsparger and Alex Gibbs, who helped Shanahan succeed.

Brian I agree on shaw Knox Holmgren and Shanahan I'm not completely sold on Buddy Parker my fifth would be either Coughlin , Schottenheimer or Reeves

[readjack]

My Top 5 Coaches Not In The HOF

Parker
Shaw
Knox
Shanahan
Holmgren

Shaughnessy is my top assistant, followed closely by Arnsparger and Alex Gibbs, who helped Shanahan succeed.

Brian, you raise another interesting point with the assistants. If assistants can now get elected, I wonder if voters can use a head coach's time as a coordinator as a tiebreaker?

[Brian wolf]

It really wont be long before career assistants get their shot. Shaughnessy to me was an innovator/HC/assistant/contributor which should have gotten him elected by now. Would every team have adopted the T-Formation without him? Hard to say ...

I put Arnsparger just ahead of Bud Carson but liked Charlie Sumner as well. Of course Buddy Ryan was great as well but had some success as a HC, while Arns and Carson didnt--though Carson went to the AFC Championship game with Cleveland.

[Brian wolf]

Getting back to your question Jack, success as an assistant could definitely help Holmgren, Shanny or Seifert but Reeves did pretty well with Dallas also. Seifert was a great defensive coach but it helps having Rhodes with Chuck Studley resigning. Shanny had Elway and Young but Holmgren had Young, first.

Holmgren did a great job with Hasselbeck as well but just couldnt get that SB win. Receivers for Seattle dropped too many passes but slick conditions played a role up there.

If Coughlin was to get elected, and he did have lesser talent than the other multiple winners, he needs to thank Justin Tuck in his acceptance speech. This guy was all over Brady in those wins.