Giants coach Tom Coughlin refuses to think about his future.
And, he said Wednesday, he is trying to get his team to do the same — at least beyond Sunday's regular-season finale against the Eagles.
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Game preparation is all he's emphasizing, he said (via NJ.com), but with a long view:
"As I asked them this morning, I said, look, 'First of all, it's not fair. You're young men. I'm the head coach, you're the players. I appreciate the sentiments I've seen a couple of you have gotten out there.'
"I appreciate the sentiments, but that is not where I want them focused this week. But basically I said, 'Don't worry about me and my situation. Let's prepare ourselves to play an outstanding football game. To try to win a game against the Philadelphia Eagles team.'
"Hopefully when you ask those questions, they will say we are focusing on the Philadelphia Eagles and leave it at that."
The Giants (6-9), eliminated from postseason contention for the fourth consecutive season, haven't been to the playoffs since winning Super Bowl XLVI.
When asked Wednesday if he and co-owner John Mara have discussed his situation, Coughlin emphatically answered, "No."
Still, according to the New York Daily News, citing an unidentified team source, there already have been several high-level discussions about Coughlin, and pressure is building — presumably from co-owner Steve Tisch — for Mara to make a coaching change.
“To be honest, this is the 16th game of the season and that’s where I’m focused,” Coughlin said. “I won’t let myself go in those other directions because we have a job to do, and that’s what we’re going to do. All these other issues will clear up in time, but not before then.”
