Tom Coughlin was hired as the Giants coach in 2004, qualified as a stern taskmaster for whom some players had difficulty playing. He had Coughlin fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Coughlin reappeared with the Giants and the team bosses asked the former Boston College coach to relax a little after several veterans, including Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan, disregarded all of his rules. And his softened approach led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles.
Knicks new coach Tom Thibodeau will return to New York in a bid to break the 47-year title drought.
According to an NBA executive who spoke to the Knicks, Thibodeau’s hiring compares to Coughlin joining the Giants. At his introductory press conference, the then-57-year-old was compared to “a commanding officer preparing to take an enemy hill.”
Comparisons between Thibodeau’s arrival and Coughlin’s extend to his mentors. Coughlin’s mentor was a famous former Giants coach at Bill Parcells. Thibodeau’s mentor is famous Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, who hired him for his staff in 1996.
Like Coughlin, Thibodeau, at 62, comes from an embarrassing shot at the hands of the humble Timberwolves despite breaking his 13-year playoff drought with a record 47-35 in 2017-18.
Thibodeau’s Zoom press conference is expected in the middle of the week once a contract is signed.
“I don’t think Tommy is close to Coughlin for being unreasonable,” said an NBA source. “Tom has a keen sense of humor and laughs easily.”
Still, Thibodeau is on record saying he has to change and adapt. As The Post has already reported, Thibodeau is even willing to allow President Leon Rose and Vice President William Wesley to choose at least two of their assistant coaches.
Former interim coach Mike Miller, whose contract is for another year, and Mike Woodson, once represented by Wesley when he coached the Knicks, are solid bets.
According to an NBA source, the only question with Thibodeau was whether his communication skills that have worked in the past still work with the millennial player. Sources in Minnesota contend that Thibodeau didn’t connect well enough with some of the Wolves’ younger stars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
This is why Knicks Brass wants to make sure that the Thibodeau staff has enough variety.
“Thibs and his boys can teach and train,” said the NBA source. But do they have the communication skills to say the same thing in a different way? It is subtle but important. Do all Thibs boys say the same thing the same way? The administration has been sensitive at least to perception. “
Thibodeau can always reach a certain type of player. Take Taj Gibson, for example, who could play for three different Thibodeau clubs if he re-signs with the Knicks. And the same for DJ Augustin, who had a revival in his only season with the Bulls.
“If you don’t want to play for a coach who will really train you and be tough on you, you don’t want to be great, then I loved playing for Thibs,” Augustin told reporters on Saturday.
Coughlin’s focus changed, and he is a candidate for the Hall of Fame. Rose believes that Thibodeau can have such a bright future.
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