Is Tom Coughlin looming over Jaguars’ 2016 season?

Former Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is spending 2016 without a coaching gig. Does his presence loom over his struggling team?

Forced to retire

Resigning in grace, two-time Super Bowl champion head coach Tom Coughlin has found himself on the outside looking in for the 2016 season after not finding the right fit as a coaching candidate.

To his credit, Coughlin was a consideration with both the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, but the teams and Coughlin just didn’t gel.

For a man who has been coaching in the NFL for the better part of three decades and two decades straight as a head coach, spending 12 years with the New York Giants after eight years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s tough to not gear up for another season. It’s tough to not want to be a part of it all as roster evaluations, talent acquisition planning, and scheming overall for the next season get underway.

Initially, this would look like the first step toward retirement that so many Americans struggle with after decades of hard work. It’s tough to make that transition.

But Tom Coughlin is not ready to retire.

In fact, the 69-year old thinks says he’s too young to retire, emphatically stating, “I’m way too young for that.”

So, for now, we’ll call 2016 a one-year hiatus while Coughlin works on finding the right fit for his next step in his career as a professional coach.

Could that next step be a return to his first head coaching gig with the Jacksonville Jaguars?

It’s no secret that Jags owner Shad Khan expects his team to win and will not be shy about firing recently-extended head coach Gus Bradley if his team doesn’t get above .500. Bradley is officially on the hot seat and Khan, being the shrewd business man that he is, has got to have an eye toward the future and possible head coaching candidates.

Looming over that entire potential process is the Tom Coughlin. It may just be a pie in the sky dream for some fans who want to return to the glory days of the mid 1990s and early 2000s, but it’s a thought that could persist for the entire year (especially of Bradley struggles again) as the opportunity now exists with Coughlin not coaching and keeping the door open.

It’s a dream scenario for some Jags fans and it’s not one to be dismissed completely as a harebrained idea. Coughlin has a proven track record as a winner, he holds his players accountable, he runs a tight ship, and he makes his expectations known to his team. He demands excellence.

After years of immaturity and inexperienced mistakes, the Jaguars could use a head coach like that.

This isn’t to say that there’s any official interest or even that this is the most beneficial head coaching possibility if the Jags struggle again in 2016. It’s also not considering what Tom Coughlin may want to do when he’s 70. He may feel young now, but there are few coaches who extend their careers into their 70s.

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It’s an interesting scenario to keep in the back of your mind as the season gears up. The possibility is out there.

Would you welcome a return of Coughlin as head coach of the Jaguars after 2016?