Tom Coughlin: Why the New York Giants' Coach Should Retire

Tom Coughlin did it again. He led his rag-tag New York Giants squad from outside of the playoff picture to Super Bowl champions in just seven weeks. He won his second world championship as a head coach and now, at 65 years old, he could walk away on top if he so chose.

I can't think of a more perfect time for him to retire. He'd ride off into the sunset with everyone remembering him as the guy who out-foxed one of the greatest coaches of all-time twice in four years. He would leave as the guy New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick just couldn't solve, and he'd likely be headed for the Hall of Fame as an old-school coach who demanded and received the best from his teams. 

With his win last night, Coughlin's teams are 12-7 in the postseason, but with the Giants, he is 8-3. He also has 142 career wins in 16 seasons as a head coach. 

Coughlin is the NFL's oldest coach at 65, and this year's Super Bowl win was his crowning achievement. The Giants were 7-7 and on the outside looking in on the playoffs. They beat two rivals, the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys, to win the NFC East, then beat four of the NFL's best teams to win a championship. That's as spectacular a finish as anyone could possibly ask for. 

Some guys can't leave the game when they should, and I get the feeling Coughlin is a football junkie. But we often look back more fondly on guys who went out on top. John Madden, Bill Walsh, Tony LaRussa and John Wooden all stepped away after winning championships, and we remember them as champions.

Remember, when the team was struggling this season, people were talking about how it would be Coughlin's final season. In fact, since the team's last Super Bowl win in 2008, it seems that every year his job has been in jeopardy.

Any job in the New York sports scene comes with a considerable amount of stress, but now, as the toast of the town, Coughlin has the chance to walk away at the pinnacle of his sport. I think it would be the perfect way to go out.