Mark Cannizzaro

Mark Cannizzaro

NFL

Giants want Coughlin to lead them in 2014

With the Giants playoff chances essentially sitting two outs in the bottom of the ninth from extinction — and with their head coach, Tom Coughlin, set to turn 68 before next season begins — we are rapidly approaching that time of year when questions about his future will become a topic of sports radio rant waves.

Unless the 4-7 Giants, who play at the Redskins Sunday night, win at least four of their final five games this will be their first losing season since 2004, when they went 6-10 in Coughlin’s first season with the team.

If for some reason this season turns out to be it for Coughlin, whose contract runs through 2014, it would be a crime for a coach who has brought two Super Bowl championships to the franchise to have this bitter disappointment of a season end up being his final act.

There are no indications Coughlin will decide to walk away and the chances of Giants management firing him are as good as Mark Sanchez starting at quarterback for the Jets next season. But you never can discount the unexpected. Take this season as an example of that. Who expected this?

The perfect-ending dream of everyone who plays or coaches in sports is to go out on top. Almost none do. But figure on Coughlin giving it at least one more go in 2014. His players not only expect that to be the case; they practically beg for it.

“He is the New York Giants,’’ cornerback Terrell Thomas said. “He epitomizes this organization as a selfless person who takes it all on his shoulders. When we lose, he takes all the blame, and when we win he gives us all the credit. When you see that over years, when you see that leadership, you take it upon yourself to start living that way and start acting that way as a team. That’s why we didn’t turn on each other when we were 0-6.’’

Asked if he can imagine the Giants without Coughlin, Thomas said, “Not at all. I think this team would be in turmoil without him here. One of the main things he did this season was turn this team around. He turned a bunch of individual players into a team. It’s his character.’’

Never was the strength and resolve of Coughlin’s character more impressive than after his 63-year-old brother, John, died suddenly following a fall on his way home from the Giants’ Sept. 15 game against the Broncos at MetLife Stadium.

When many of us would have needed to check out from our professional lives to grieve, Coughlin set aside his broken heart and carried on, not allowing the tragedy to be about him and never interrupting his team’s routine.

“I’ve been through situations like that, and I can damn sure tell you I didn’t handle them as well as he did,’’ defensive end Justin Tuck said.

“I was standing next to his brother on the sideline talking to him the day before he died,’’ punter Steve Weatherford said. “For him to handle it the way he did says a lot about his faith and a lot about his commitment to the team, because a lot of people would have called in sick to be with their family.

“The way he handled it, he didn’t make it about himself. He alerted the team what was going on and then got right into the plan for the next team. Special guy.’’

Tuck said “marvel is a good word’’ to describe how he views Coughlin.

“For a guy that’s been as successful as he has as a coach and at 67 years old now to come in here and never waver one way or the other is amazing,’’ Tuck said. “Football is such an emotional game with such high highs and low lows, but he is the true definition of never get too high with the highs and never get too low with the lows. If you let your emotions go with the way the team is performing, you’ll die of a heart attack.’’

However old you are right now, whether you are younger than Coughlin or a contemporary, imagine navigating through the stresses he does at 67 — particularly this season.

Asked what he figures he’ll be doing at 67, Weatherford said, “I won’t be doing anything like what he’s doing. People tell me, ‘I’ve never met anybody with as much energy as you.’ But I think I met my match.

“He’s unbelievable, especially considering he’s 36 years older than I am. Amazing coach, but more importantly an amazing man and amazing leader.’’