Sep 22, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; General view of New York Giants helmets on the bench prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports — Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Ranking the Top Greatest Assistant Coaches in New York Giants' Franchise History

Last but not least, we out a bow on our "Greatest in Franchise History" series with a look at John Gidley's top five Giant assistant coaches

Author:
John Gidley
Publish date:
Jun 10, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

This week’s article pivots from our previous rankings of greatest Giants players by position to the most outstanding assistant coaches in franchise history.

The best head coaches are already well-known--Owen, Parcells, and Coughlin, to name a few--but New York has also had some elite assistants. Each of the five in these rankings had substantive head coaching experience as well.

No. 5. John Fox, Defensive Coordinator, 1997–2001

After spending two seasons as defensive coordinator of the Raiders, John Fox was hired for the same position with the Giants in 1997 by new head coach Jim Fassel. Fox saw the potential of players like Michael Strahan and Jessie Armstead, noticing that they had yet to reach their highest capabilities.

That season, the Giants allowed the third-fewest points in the NFL, and the defense carried them to their first NFC East championship in seven years. Fox lasted four more seasons in New York before becoming head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2002.

No. 4. Ron Erhardt, Offensive Coordinator, 1982-1990; Offensive Assistant, 1991

Ron Erhardt was coming off a four-season stint as head coach of the New England Patriots when he became the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 1982. The 1981 Giants team that made the playoffs did so mainly despite their offense.

Under Erhardt’s guidance, they soon became a top-ten offense and made New York a more complete team as a result. He was the offensive coordinator for both of the Giants’ championship teams of 1986 and 1990.

Surprisingly, Erhardt was not made head coach after Bill Parcells’ sudden resignation. Instead, the job went to Ray Handley. Erhardt lasted only one season in the new regime before becoming offensive coordinator of the Steelers and later the Jets.

No. 3. Tom Landry, Defensive Coordinator, 1954–1959

Landry’s six-season tenure as the Giants’ defensive coordinator began while he was still playing. His first two years as a coach, 1954 and 1955, were his last two as a player. In each of his six seasons at the helm of the defense, the Giants were never ranked lower than fourth in points allowed.

They surrendered the fewest points in the NFL in both 1958 and 1959. No wonder the Dallas Cowboys hired Landry as their first head coach in 1960. What happened in the decades after that is painfully evident to Giants fans.

No. 2. Bill Belichick, Special Teams & Defensive Assistant (1979); Linebackers/Special Teams (1980-1984); Defensive Coordinator (1985-1990)

Belichick had spent six seasons as coach of both the Giants’ linebackers and special teams when Bill Parcells promoted him to defensive coordinator in 1985. As great as New York’s defense already was by the mid-80s, under Belichick’s watch, they were somehow even better.

They won Super Bowls XXI and XXV in this timespan, after which Belichick served as head coach of the Browns, the Jets - if only for a day - and of course, the Patriots.

No. 1. Vince Lombardi, Offensive Coordinator (1954-1958)

The year was 1954 when new Giants head coach Jim Lee Howell hired a 40-year-old assistant coach from West Point by the name of Vincent Thomas Lombardi to serve as New York’s offensive coordinator.

The rest, as the cliché goes, was history. Players such as Frank Gifford and Kyle Rote had some of their best seasons in this era. In 1959, Lombardi was hired as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, a once-proud franchise that had since become one of the league’s doormats.

He lasted nine seasons in Green Bay and did a reasonably decent job in turning the Packers around.

When comparing the careers of Tom Landry, Bill Belichick, and Vince Lombardi, there are very few differences. Each coach has had enormous success, winning multiple Super Bowls. When all was said and done, all three will be in the Hall of Fame.

The only noticeable difference--at least in the purview of these rankings--is that Belichick has been surprisingly futile against the Giants since becoming a head coach. Landry’s Cowboys pummeled the Giants throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and Lombardi’s Packers beat New York in both the 1961 and 1962 NFL Championship Games.

While Belichick has six Super Bowl wins (more than any head coach), he also has three losses. One of them came to Philadelphia, while the other two came to, well, you know who.

MORE HISTORICAL GIANTS POSITION GROUP RANKINGS