KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tom Coughlin has to bear his share of the blame for 0-3, just as Mike Tomlin does in Pittsburgh, as Mike Shanahan does in RG3ville. All of them are elite head coaches, all of them have won Super Bowls, and none of them belong on any hot seat.
The Giants and Steelers have been models of continuity and stability at the top, and sometimes the best firings are the ones you don’t make (Coughlin following the 2006 season). So by no means is this the start of any “Tom must go” movement. Been there, done that.
But there isn’t an NFL team that doesn’t prepare a contingency plan for the future, and the Giants have a short list of head coaching candidates just as the 31 other franchises do. Coughlin deserves to go out on his own terms, has shown no inclination to leave the sidelines any time soon, and still seems to be an ideal candidate for the next five-hour energy commercial.
His circumstances are unique in that there exists an age-old concern that he is three years from 70. He has also been the head coach here since 2004, which means a 0-3 start inevitably will lead the knee-jerk crowd to wonder whether his voice and message still are being heard. It is not unfair, however, to note Coughlin has lost eight of his past 11 games, and faces a crisis test of his leadership.
It will be as difficult to replace Coughlin as it was Bill Parcells, and John Mara, for one, surely dreads the day. The organization’s nightmare scenario would be a nuclear winter — a fourth time out of the playoffs in five years and Coughlin entering the 2014 season as a lame duck in the absence of a contract extension, at which time general manager Jerry Reese’s “everybody is on notice” proclamation would apply to him as well.
The flip side of that is an unlikely third Super Bowl championship in Big Blue’s own backyard after which Coughlin decides to ride off into the sunset on his way to Canton in a farewell topped only by Mariano Rivera and equalled by John Elway.
Just as it was with Phil Simms, Coughlin will be appreciated more when he is gone, and Giants fans better hope their franchise will be able to replace him as seamlessly as the Yankees replaced Joe Torre with Joe Girardi.
Bill Cowher always is the first name mentioned, but he seems pretty ensconced and happy at CBS. Nick Saban is in a league of his own in the college ranks, but he flopped with the Dolphins, and doesn’t have the right temperament for the New York market.
So who might it one day be?
1. John Fox (Broncos): He would be my first choice, if available. Popular, well-respected former Giants defensive coordinator who was in line to replace Jim Fassel if the Carolina job hadn’t opened up. Super Bowl runner-up to Bill Belichick. Contract is up after 2014 season, when Peyton Manning will be 39. Would he leave Peyton for Eli?
2. Bill O’Brien (Penn State): A tower of strength during the Sandusky-Paterno travails. Five years under Belichick coaching Tom Brady. Contract runs through 2016.
3. Mike Zimmer (Bengals): If Bill Parcells can’t understand why the Cincy defensive coordinator hasn’t gotten a head coaching opportunity, I sure can’t. No one likes playing against his defenses.
4. Mike Sullivan (Buccaneers): Coached under Coughlin for eight years and a military man who brought Col. Greg Gadson to Giants. Eli Manning’s quarterbacks coach 2010-11. His nurturing and development of Mike Glennon as Bucs offensive coordinator will determine his fate.
5. Ken Whisenhunt (Chargers): The San Diego offensive coordinator came within a last-minute Santonio Holmes TD catch of winning Super Bowl XLIII as coach of the Cardinals and has Steeler roots, never a bad thing. Has done yeoman’s work with Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner.
6. Todd Bowles (Cardinals): A Jersey guy, the Arizona defensive coordinator worked under Parcells and is considered a bright mind.
7. Aaron Kromer (Bears): An offensive line guru, and Chicago coordinator, who is a teacher and a communicator and is very highly regarded by former boss Sean Payton.
8. Pete Carmichael Jr. (Saints): The offensive coordinator has learned at the feet of Sean Payton and Drew Brees. A Boston College product, always appealing to John Mara, and his father, Pete Carmichael Sr., was the receivers coach on Coughlin’s expansion Jaguars.
9. Lovie Smith: A Super Bowl runner up to Peyton Manning as the Bears coach, and one of the four candidates interviewed before Coughlin was hired.
10. Kevin Sumlin (Johnny Manziel University, aka Texas A&M): The Eagles were interested in him before settling on Chip Kelly. You want offense, he’ll give you offense.
11. Dirk Koetter (Falcons): Former Boise State coach whose vertical passing concepts as offensive coordinator in Atlanta have agreed with Matt Ryan.
12. Darrell Bevell (Seahawks): Seattle offensive coordinator has worked with Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. One of the finalists for the Bears job. Also interviewed with Cardinals before Bruce Arians was hired. Son of a high school coach. West Coast offense background. Seahawks’ success can’t hurt.
13. Rick Dennison (Texans): Power running game guru who has been special teams coach, offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. Beaten out by Fox for Broncos job.
14. Tom Clemens (Packers): A Giants assistant named Vince Lombardi left to coach the Packers. Turnabout is fair play. As offensive coordinator, he doesn’t call plays under Mike McCarthy, but Rodgers is high on him. Drew interest from Bears before Marc Trestman was hired to replace Smith.
15. Ray Horton (Browns): Has 20 years as a pro assistant and worked under Dick LeBeau before coordinating Cardinals defense, and now Cleveland’s. It has been written that he can be a loose cannon.
16. Mike Sherman (Dolphins): Has a no-nonsense presence, and head coaching experience with Packers, and, as offensive coordinator in Miami, has developed Ryan Tannehill nicely.
17. Perry Fewell (Giants): Defensive coordinator will need to restore the Big Blue pass rush first.
18. Winston Moss (Packers): Has worked under Dom Capers and the late Jim Johnson. Interviewed for Raiders job in 2009.
19. Rex Ryan (Jets): LOL. May be too buttoned-down for Giants,.
20. Rob Ryan (Saints): LOL. Defensive genius. Just ask him.