“It has always been my belief that it is an honor and a privilege to be the head coach of the New York Giants,” said Coughlin. “I’m thankful to John Mara and Steve Tisch and their families for their support and the recognition of what our players and coaches have accomplished. And I’m grateful for the working relationship Jerry Reese and I have. We’ve got a lot of work left to do.”

As I stated already, this was expected but it is still exciting to have it confirmed that Coughlin will

“Tom is the right person in the right job at the right time,” said Chairman Steve Tisch. “I just really appreciate how our players respond to his leadership, and obviously our organization has benefited tremendously because of the relationship Tom has with his players.”

“I wanted Tom as our head coach going all the way back to the early ‘90s,” said John Mara, “so it was with great confidence that Ernie Accorsi and I recommended to my father and Bob Tisch in 2004 that we hire Tom. Of course, my father didn’t need to be convinced. He saw what we have all seen, a man who has a singular focus and incredible dedication when it comes to his work. In so many ways, Tom represents to me who and what the head coach of our franchise should be.”

Coughlin’s 74 regular season Giants victories are the third-highest total among head coaches in team history, behind only Owen (153) and Bill Parcells (77). His eight Giants postseason victories tie him with Parcells for the franchise record. Coughlin has led the Giants to two NFC East titles and five playoff berths in eight years.

Coughlin has eight postseason victories, the same number as Bill Parcells and also the franchise record. Under Coughlin the Giants have won two NFC East titles and have made it to the playoffs five times in eight years.

He’s also coached the Giants to 74 victories. This ranks him third in victories behind Steve Owen with 153 and Bill Parcells with 77.

The following stats were provided by Giants.com:

The 2011 Giants gained a franchise-record 6,161 yards. The former mark of 6,085 was set in 2010. Those are the only two 6,000-yard seasons in Giants history.

The Giants shattered their franchise record with 4,734 net passing yards. The former mark of 4,019 was set in 2009. Those are the only two 4,000-yard passing seasons in Giants history. In 2011, the Giants also set a team record with 359 pass completions and had at least 200 passing yards in every game for the first time in their history.

Last year, the Giants won five regular season games in which they trailed in the fourth quarter, tying the franchise record they set in 2002. They tied Denver and Cincinnati for the NFL’s second-highest total. Arizona led the league with six.

In the last six seasons, the Giants’ regular season records have been 11-5, 8-8, 10-6, 12-4, 8-8, 10-6 and 9-7. Their six-year streak without a losing record is the Giants’ longest since they had 10 in a row from 1954-63.

The 2011 Giants were unique Super Bowl champions. They were the first team to win the title after a) losing seven games in the regular season; b) losing four consecutive games in the regular season; c) finishing with a negative scoring differential (394-400) in the regular season, and d) finishing last in the NFL in rushing in the regular season. They did so thanks to the resilience, toughness and tenacity which characterize Coughlin-coached teams. In their four postseason victories, the Giants defeated 10-6 Atlanta, 15-1 Green Bay, 13-3 San Francisco and 13-3 New England to become the first team to beat four teams in the playoffs with better regular season records. The Giants are the first team to twice win four games in a single postseason (doing it in 2007 and 2011).

Jim Howell may be one of the lesser known members of the New York Giants Ring of Honor. Howell was drafted by the Giants in 1937 and played with the team as a Wide Receiver and defensive back until his retirement in 1947. He played in 74 games starting 50 of them for the Giants. He had 61 catches for 921 yards and 7 touchdowns. He also recorded one interception during his playing tenure.

After his retirement from the Giants as player in 1947, Howell was named head football coach of Wagner University. He was named the Head Football Coach of the Giants in 1954, taking over for former Giants coach and the popular Steve Owen. He helped the Giants to the 1956 Championship and recorded an overall coaching record 53 wins and 27 losses along with 4 ties. One of Howell biggest success  as a Head Coach was having Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi as his coordinators.

After the 1960 season, Howell moved to the front office of the Giants and served in various roles including player development. He finally retired from the Giants organization in 1981. Sadly, he passed away in 1995 in his home state of Arkansas.

Steve Owen is simply a legend that all future Giants stand upon the shoulders of. Steve Owen was born in 1898 in Oklahoma when it was still a territory! Mr. Owen joined the New York Giants in 1926 when he was sold to the team for $500. He played for the Giants from 1926-1931 and then again in 1933. He played in a total of 69 games for the Giants as a player.

Steve Owen then became one of the legendary coaches in the history of the New York Giants. He was the lone head coach of the Giants from 1930-1953. The most amazing fact during his tenure…he never had a contract. It was a handshake agreement between him and the Mara family. Under his tutelage, the Giants played in eight of the first 14 championship games of the National Football League. The team’s victory in the 1934 “Sneakers Game” is well documented. He coached the Giants to another title in 1938. He originated the “umbrella defense” – the secondary was likened to an umbrella with four deep defensive backs representing the umbrella’s spokes. (NFL Hall-of-Fame). He ended his Giants coaching career with a 150-99-17 record. One of the best in Giants history.

After retiring from the Giants, Mr. Owen had coaching stints with the Eagles, the Canadian Football League and the United Football League. He died in May 1964.

Feb 4, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; General view of the NFL logo during a press conference announcing the NFL hall of fame class of 2012 finalists at the JW Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

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