If Brian Daboll’s ever going to cool his forever-scorching hot seat as head coach of the New York Giants, spending time around Tom Coughlin might be a good place to start. Entering Year 4, Dabs is under more scrutiny than ever after back-to-back lost seasons.
It’s been all downhill for the 2022 Coach of the Year. Since that surprise 9-7-1 playoff run, a 9-25 record over the next two seasons pretty much guarantees that if 2025 goes sideways again, he’s donezo. Toast. While Joe Schoen has done a solid job of amassing more talent this offseason, Dabs can really use all the help he can get. Enter Coughlin.
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Former Giants alumni have pretty consistently stopped by practice to talk with the team and hang out around the players. There’s an energy shift when they’re around. Which is why it’s no surprise that when Daboll spoke with Mike Garafolo and Judy Battista of NFL Network, he brought up the impact Coughlin has had on both him and the entire team.
Having Tom Coughlin around camp will be great for Brian Daboll
If there’s anyone who knows how to win — and win big — in New York, it’s the 78-year-old. A two-time Super Bowl champ, he ranks second in franchise history with 102 wins and holds the top spot in playoff victories with 8, tied with Bill Parcells.
It’s no wonder Daboll would enjoy Coughlin’s company around practices. Dabs is hoping some of that success can rub off on him:
"I have a lot of appreciation for Coach Coughlin," Daboll told NFL Network. "He's someone that I talk to often, lean on, get advice from. We had him out at practice, he was here again yesterday. He's just a good resource. He's done this for a long time. He comes from a great coaching tree, he's been very successful as a head coach with this organization. He knows what it takes."
This is a great sign for the Giants and their fans. Daboll spending time and bonding with Coughlin represents a real opportunity for change. Previously, he was viewed as a loner — a guy who only wanted to do things his way. He’s a former Bill Belichick and Nick Saban guy, so that checks out. But that method clearly hasn’t been working for the 50-year-old.
He pledged to change his mindset. He was a controlling micromanager, and anyone who’s had someone in a position of power understands how awful an experience that is for the people under them. Not only is he dropping the micromanaging, but he’s been seeking outside counsel from his mentors and experts.
It’s part of his professional growth journey, and his budding relationship with Coughlin is just another step in the process of becoming a better coach.
Even the best in the business can’t do it alone. Many hands make light work. It takes a team to win in this league, and Daboll, realizing that and making strides to set himself up for success, might just be at the start of his redemptive career arc.