Once upon a time, Kurt Warner was Tom Coughlin’s starting quarterback in New York.
The two men shared a very close relationship for a coach and player, talking privately several times a week in Coughlin’s office. When Warner’s time with the team was up, Coughlin asked for a favor.
“Go home and make a list of all the things you think I need to do better as a coach, and don’t hold back,” Warner remembered Coughlin saying via the Newark Star-Ledger.
Warner took him up on the offer and wrote “page after page.”
“There were times when I was worried that I would hurt his feelings or damage our friendship,” Warner said. “But deep down I knew he’d never hold it against me as long as I did it with his best interests at heart.”
Coughlin said this week he still refers to Warner’s words. Warner focused on Coughlin explaining to players his reasons for doing things. He asked Coughlin to connect to role players and stars alike.
It’s worth noting that Coughlin may have changed less than the team around him. The Giants have learned to trust Coughlin implicitly.
“Let me ask you this: Do you think they question him for a second now?” Warner said.