Despite reports suggesting Tom Coughlin will not return to the Giants (6-10) next season, the veteran head coach did not address his future after a 35-30 loss to the Eagles (7-9) on Sunday.
"I'm not going to answer anything about that," he said. "The season just ended."
Speculation about Coughlin's future ramped up when his entire family came to the season finale. Coughlin said that it was simply the first time everyone's schedules worked together, and that this is the time of year they celebrate Christmas and the New Year. When asked if the game had any nostalgia for him, he immediately waved the question away and would not answer.
"I'm going to give myself a little time," Coughlin said after being asked whether or not he personallty made a decision. "I'm sure I'll talk with ownership and I'll go from there."
While there's no doubt Coughlin wants to finish out his contract -- he has a year remaining on the deal after receiving a one-year extension after last year's combine -- it seems like the time is right for the Giants organization to move on. Coughlin has not had a winning record in three years and his team has not made the playoffs since its 2011 Super Bowl run.
The heat has been turned up this high on the coach before, but citing their organizational credo of patience and family, owners John Mara and Steve Tisch have always stood by their coach.
Will that change on Monday when Coughlin shows up for work before dawn, just like he has every day for more than a decade?
Sunday morning, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport had this on the Coughlin situation:
"Three people know Coughlin's fate -- co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, along with Coughlin. They'll meet Monday morning to decide Coughlin's future, and it is very possible he's coached his last game. Mara and Tisch have not shared their views with each other. In most organizations, this would be an easy decision. But the Giants aren't like most places, and they'll carefully weigh every issue, including how to send him out (if it's the end) in a respectful way. But everyone outside the organization believes this job will be open. If that happens, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo will receive strong consideration for the job. Eli Manning loves him and has played some of his best football with McAdoo."
Though it feels like the end, it will be interesting to see how the meeting goes. Maybe, like Rapoport said, it could just be a matter of figuring out the best way to send Coughlin off into the sunset. But perhaps this isn't Coughlin's last stand after all.
