Former NY Giants coach Jim Fassel dies at 71

Former NY Giants coach Jim Fassel died suddenly of a heart attack Monday, at the age of 71

Jim Fassel who led the NY Giants to a Super Bowl appearance, and was the 1997 NFL Coach of The Year, died Monday at a Los Angeles hospital of a heart attack, the Los Angeles Times reports.

"Fassel’s son, John, confirmed his father’s death to the Los Angeles Times on Monday night, saying he got the news during a phone call in the afternoon. John Fassel formerly was the Rams’ special teams coach and briefly served as the team’s interim head coach.Jim Fassel, who lived in Las Vegas, suffered chest pains Monday and was taken to a local hospital by a friend. He died of a heart attack while under sedation, his son said. The entire family has since convened in Las Vegas."

A long-time offensive coach during his tenure in the NFL, Fassel coached the NY Giants for seven seasons. During his tenure, the NY Giants produced a 58-53-1 record, which included three playoff appearances.

He was the NY Giants’ fourth-winningest coach in franchise history, trailing Steve Owen, Tom Coughlin, and Bill Parcells.

Fassel was also a coordinator for the Giants, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravels, and Arizona Cardinals. His final football coaching job was coaching the Las Vegas Locomotives of the now-defunct United Football League from 2009-2012.

Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com, Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL