Bill Belichick is 59 years old, with three Super Bowl victories and five AFC championships to his name. Tom Coughlin's a bit older at 65, with one Super Bowl title and two NFC championships to his name. Combined, they've logged a grand total of 331 wins as NFL head coaches. Would either Belichick or Coughlin consider retirement with a win on Sunday?
Belichick isn't close to shredding the record books. His legacy will consume him, and I don't see him stopping until Tom Brady shuts it down.
Coughlin has been going year-to-year for a while now, pondering his future. His retirement vacation home is complete. He faces rumors of his demise every winter. He is in a media cauldron. If anyone moves on to the next stage of his life -- win or loss -- it's Coughlin. And if he does retire, defensive coordinator Perry Fewell would be a logical replacement.
They certainly could, but I don't see it. Each man sincerely loves his craft, and I haven't seen or heard anyone say either is suffering from a case of burnout. That doesn't mean they won't. Either coach could have things going on in his personal life that might make him want to step away. On the surface, though, I don't see that happening after this season for Coughlin or Belichick.
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- Jason Smith NFL.com
Not hard to imagine Coughlin going out on top
I can see Coughlin retiring if he wins because he's 65. He's not going to coach another five or seven years, and the New York meat grinder can be draining. If the Giants were loaded with a dynasty-like roster, it would be a different question. But this franchise follows a historical pattern of being a good team year in and year out, and once every few seasons truly contending for a championship.
The opposite is true with the Patriots. Every season they're one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Belichick wants to win eight or nine if he can. There's no way he leaves, especially with Brady still playing at a high level. Why would you walk away when you're perennially the best team in your conference with one of the greatest quarterbacks ever? And you're still in your 50s -- for a few months. I think Belichick coaches as long as Brady plays. When Brady retires, Belichick will coach one more season and then walk away.
