Osi Umenyiora Defends NY Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin
Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle upset teammates when they criticized head coach Tom Coughlin in mid-January. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora went to bat for his coach during a radio interview with
ESPN 1050.
"I have absolutely no intention of playing for Rex Ryan," Umenyiora stated during the interview. "I am good where I am at. Going on nine years here now, I like the way our team is, I like the way everything has transpired. I like what we have done in New York. I like our coach, me and him have a solid relationship. Rex is a good coach in his own right but really what have they won? You know what I mean? Our coach has won and his style has proven to be a winning style."
Rolle had stated that playing for Coughlin wasn't "fun," and both he and Phillips praised New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, stating that Ryan, not Coughlin, was their type of head coach.
Umenyiora isn't the first Giants player to back Coach Coughlin since the end of the 2010 NFL regular season. Defensive captain Justin Tuck made it very clear a couple of weeks ago that such public comments would not be tolerated by the leaders of the team.
Rolle, Phillips and Coughlin have since kissed and made up and it appears the story is finally going away. The NFL labor dispute becomes the big issue once the final snap of Super Bowl XLV occurs. For what it's worth, the Giants have told players that no free agency moves will occur until a new CBA is in place. This means free agents to be such as Ahmad Bradshaw, Kevin Boss and Steve Smith may be in limbo until early summer.
