When you think of the greatest NFL coaches ever, a few names stand out: Bill Belichick, Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, and Bill Parcells, who brought the New York Giants their first two championships.
Great coaches often don’t get the recognition they deserve after illustrious careers. A recent example is Belichick being snubbed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Everyone with brain cells knows this is completely uncalled for, and he deserves his place in Canton, Ohio.
While Belichick may be the biggest example of this, people often forget Tom Coughlin’s impact. It was felt not just by the Giants and Jaguars organizations, but by the NFL in general. He deserves more recognition.
Tom Coughlin deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame
Coughlin was recently left off CBS Sports’ most recent ranking of the NFL’s greatest head coaches, and that doesn’t sit right with us.
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports recently asked six other CBS Sports NFL writers to rank the 20 greatest coaches in NFL history, and Coughlin was not on the list.
It’s worth noting that three of the six writers polled did list him on their top 20 lists. Both John Breech and Carter Bahns listed Coughlin at No. 19, and Garrett Podell had him ranked at No. 20. So the two-time Super Bowl Champion was recognized, even if he did not make the official list.
Coughlin will, of course, always be remembered for winning two of the Giants’ four titles over arguably the greatest coach of all-time in Belichick and the greatest player ever to play this sport in Tom Brady. He is also one of 14 head coaches who have won multiple Super Bowls.
Coughlin’s ability to build the Jaguars franchise from the ground up as an expansion team should not go unnoticed. He was Jacksonville’s inaugural head coach and helped lead the franchise to two AFC Championship games in its first five seasons.
Fortunately, the CBS Sports writers weren’t completely off, as they did have Parcells on this list at No. 13. Everywhere Big Tuna went in his coaching career, he won. He did it at the highest level, which is why he deservedly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and cracked this list.
While Coughlin may not have the type of legacy that Parcells had, there’s certainly an argument for him to make this list. He should definitely be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, considering he’s been on the ballot the last three years and has reached the semifinalist stage.
It’s only a matter of time until Coughlin gets the recognition he deserves. While we’re at it, maybe the committee can take a look at Eli Manning’s resume as well.
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