NFL

Eli Manning on what makes Tom Coughlin a Hall-worthy coach

Eli Manning is certain he is playing for a Hall of Fame head coach who one day will join Michael Strahan in Canton.

“I think Coach Coughlin has had an unbelievable NFL career and a coaching career in college (Boston College), his days in Jacksonville had great, great teams [two AFC Championship Game appearances with an expansion team], winning two championships here in New York,” Manning told The Post. “Yes, in my heart I think he’s been a great example of what coaching’s all about, and has had success everywhere he’s been.”

I asked Manning what specific traits make Tom Coughlin a Hall of Fame coach.

“I think when you talk about a career in a Hall of Fame, you want someone who produces, and he’s produced great teams,” Manning said. “He’s just a guy who always is going to get us prepared to win each game, to compete, to get us focused. … Whether you had the greatest game of your life the week before and you won by 50, or you got beat by 50, he’s gonna have a game plan and have a way of get us mentally and physically ready to play each week.”

Manning became a Giant three months after Coughlin was hired. Manning was drafted by the Chargers, who were coached by Marty Schottenheimer. Manning preferred New York over San Diego, and by extension, Coughlin over Schottenheimer.

Coughlin took the ball from Kurt Warner after nine games in 2004 and handed it to Manning, The Chosen One. Manning didn’t rebel against Tyrannical Tom in the same fashion as the headstrong Strahan, who was an 11-year Giant. It doesn’t mean Manning can’t acknowledge the changes Coughlin made in dealing with his players on a more personal, human level, which were instrumental in their winning Super Bowl XLII and XLVI together.

“He’s different a little bit, but it’s still kinda with the same style,” Manning said, “in the sense that he wants everything done well, he wants us to be prepared. He does not like mental mistakes, he does not like soft-tissue injuries that he talks a lot about. He’s big on preparation, so that has not changed. When he gets angry, or we have a bad play, he’s gonna let us know, but maybe a little bit more conservatively letting us know about it than the old days. But besides that, it’s pretty similar.”

Coughlin and Manning ride with their second Lombardi Trophy in 2012.Reuters

Manning is 33. Coughlin will be 68 next month. Manning one day will have to play for a different Giants head coach.

“I think in this league, you don’t think too much into the future, you have to worry about right now,” Manning said. “I’ve enjoyed the time so far, I’m looking forward to this year and the new challenges ahead of us … and so just take it one year at a time.”

If Manning didn’t know how old Coughlin was, how old would he think he is?

“He looks good and he still has the energy he has, and he loves what he’s doing,” Manning said. “That’s something you can tell, and that comes across to players, when you have a coach who truly is 100 percent committed to winning football games. He loves football. He loved being a coach. He loves the New York Giants. That is very evident, and you want to win for him.”

It was Strahan who exhorted his defensive mates to believe Manning would engineer the game-winning drive that shocked the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

“I’m excited for Strahan,” Manning said. “I think even this last week, it’s even hit me a little harder, just the fact that I got the opportunity [to play] with a guy who’s going into the Hall of Fame. That’s pretty special. That doesn’t happen every day. He was always great to me, he was always supportive of me between the good, the bad, the ugly, everything, kinda always had my back, with the media to me in the locker room, and so I appreciate that, and he was a great example, role model for how to be professional, how to practice every day, the energy he had, so well-deserving and really happy for him.”

Manning will garner Hall of Fame consideration one day should he rebound from last season’s 27-interception nightmare. Does he think about it?

“No,” Manning said. “I’m worried about playing Buffalo in the Hall of Fame game.”

Same as the head coach he believes belongs in Canton.