The 10 Most Underrated NFL Head Coaches Since 2000

​5. Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville Jaguars/New York Giants

Average nERD: 1.09 (26th)
Average Win Differential: 0.13 (36th)

Based on the course of his career, I’m not shocked that Tom Coughlin was forced out of the New York Giants after last season. What does surprise me is how little defensive help general manager Jerry Reese gave the veteran Coughlin over his last three years with the G-Men. This was the clear failure of the team over the past few seasons, as Coughlin’s teams had an average 55.84 Adjusted Defensive NEP from 2013 to 2015. To Coughlin’s credit, after a rocky first year with the team in 2004, he had a run of eight consecutive positive nERD seasons, including a 9.60 nERD in 2008, the year after the Giants won their first Super Bowl, and turned the career of quarterback Eli Manning back on track after a horrendous 2013 season.

But I talk too much about Coughlin’s exploits in Gotham. He was also the first head coach of the expansion-era Jacksonville Jaguars, and he lasted there from 1995 to 2002 -- the most successful era for an expansion team in NFL history. The Jaguars reached four consecutive playoff berths under Coughlin, including two AFC Championship appearances. Sure, Grandpa Tom had an average -0.89 nERD with Jacksonville during the three years we have data for, but he was a fantastic coach and leader across his entire NFL career, despite a win-loss record that may not tell the whole story.