Tom Coughlin, who might have been out of a job this week, is instead standing tall as a football coach for the ages.
The 65-year-old New York Giant's head coach proved that the idea of the fighting Irish does not rest in one place, or with one team, but is a phenomenon that, in the right hands, can be summoned up just about anywhere.
The Giants come from all manner of backgrounds and there is for sure a special spirit in a team that wins a Super Bowl after a 9-7 regular season. Others would have hauled down the flag after the string of defeats that the Giant's suffered during their most unlikely journey to Indianapolis.
That they did not is a tribute to the entire organization, and for sure Eli Manning.
But even the best team of players might have lost their way without a coach who knew precisely what to say, how to say it, and when and where to say it. That coach is Tom Coughlin, who kept his Irish up in the darkest hours and led his team to what just a few weeks ago seemed like an impossible dream. Maith an fear!
