Giants great Tom Coughlin snubbed for Pro Football Hall of Fame

The New York Giants will not have any coach, contributor, or senior finalists for this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.

Former head coaches Tom Coughlin, Dan Reeves, and Bill Arnsparger were all shut out in the coaches’ category while former players, linebacker Carl Banks, running back Ottis Anderson, and quarterback Charlie Conerly, were left off the list for seniors.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists for 2025:

Coach Mike Holmgren

Seniors:
Sterling Sharpe
Maxie Baughan
Jim Tyrer

Contributor:
NFL Co-Founder Ralph Hay (as I previously reported, Robert Kraft was snubbed)

3 of 5 who get 80 percent or more votes will be inducted

— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) December 3, 2024

The Giants still have one player in the modern-day category, quarterback Eli Manning, who advanced to the semifinals two weeks ago.

There is much debate today on the selection of Mike Holmgren over Tom Coughlin and Mike Shanahan in the coaches’ category.

It was a close call. Coughlin and Shanahan both won the two Super Bowls they appeared in during their careers. Holmgren won one of the three he took his teams to.

Holmgren has a better win-loss record in the regular season (161-111, .592). Shanahan had a record of 170-138 (.552) and Coughlin went 170-150 (.531).

Coughlin was the best in the postseason, going 12-7 (.632), while Shanahan was 8-6 (.571) and Holmgren went 13-11 (.542).

Holmgren took the Green Bay Packers to two Super Bowls, winning one. He later took the Seattle Seahawks to the big game and lost.

That is a fine distinction but he’s not alone in achieving the feat. Dick Vermeil, Dan Reeves, Don Shula, Andy Reid, and Bill Parcells also did that but no coach has ever won the big game with two different teams.