Did Tom Coughlin snub Giants co-owner John Mara after farewell speech? [Video]
Tom Coughlin speaks during a farewell news conference as New York Giants coach on Tuesday.
New York Giants co-owner John Mara was the first person Tom Coughlin thanked while giving a farewell news conference on Tuesday, a day after announcing he would be stepping down as the team’s head coach.
At the same news conference, Mara informed the media that he had asked Coughlin to remain with the team in some capacity and that the former coach agreed to think about “ways that he might be able to help us going forward” over the next few days.
All of that is interesting because the two men ended up face-to-face in front of the stage following Coughlin’s speech and before Mara’s. And the man who coached the Giants to two Super Bowl titles quickly walked right on by without even acknowledging his former boss.
Coughlin acknowledged during his 18-minute remarks that “I’m more nervous about this press conference than anything I’ve done.”
He also got a little fired up while talking, sometimes gesturing or pounding on the podium while talking about things like football’s “higher ground” and “greater purpose” or “winning the right way.”
And, of course, this has got to be an emotional time for the 69-year-old, who said he was “not necessarily” done with coaching.
All of that may have had something to do with his mind-set immediately after speaking on Tuesday. But while no one can know what was going on in Coughlin’s head during his brief encounter with Mara, the interaction (or lack thereof) sure looks like a snub.
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