The New York Giants may fire Tom Coughlin if the coach doesn't resign on his own after missing the playoffs for the 2015 season. The Giants ended the year with a loss to the Eagles and while Eli Manning and many players expressed support for Coughlin, co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch may want to move in a new direction.
UPDATE: According to ESPN, Tom Coughlin is out as the head coach of the Giants.
There were reports heading into Sunday's game against the Eagles that Coughlin would resign following the season, but so far that has not happened. According to Pro Football Talk, "Coughlin's future isn't as clear as some think it is," with the website reporting that Coughlin may not walk away from the job and could force the Giants to fire him if they want to make a change. Coughlin has one more year on his contract, but after another season of missing the playoffs, the Giants may want to move on from the coach.
Eli Manning spoke about the potential of Coughlin not being the head coach in 2016 and was "very emotional" about that idea, according to Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record. Manning said that he has not spoken with Mara or Tisch about the potential move and that regarding Coughlin and this season, "we as players, we failed him by not playing to the level we could." Manning has been with Coughlin for his entire career and if the Giants do make a move, they likely will look for someone who can work well with Manning for the rest of his career.
Sean Payton's name has come up as a potential candidate for numerous teams and the Giants could be one that goes after the Saints coach if he is available. According to ESPN.com, the Saints have not yet made a decision about Payton, but with years left on his contract the team likely will want draft compensation if another team wants to bring Payton in. Pro Football Talk reports that there is "thinking" out there that "Payton would love to coach the Giants."
As of Monday afternoon at 2 pm, there has not been an announcement about Coughlin's future with the Giants. ESPN reports that Coughlin met with Mara and Tisch on Monday afternoon at around 1 pm ET, but there is not a scheduled announcement yet about any potential moves. Pro Football Talk reports that there is an "emerging sense" that Coughlin will not "walk away" from the team by resigning as head coach.