Giants add year to Tom Coughlin's deal

John Mara said in January that Tom Coughlin's job is safe. If the Giants don't make the playoffs this season, he might have to make another declaration if he plans on keeping him.

The Giants announced Wednesdaythat Coughlin has received a contract extension through the 2012 season, adding one year to his existing deal. That's not a lot, but it does give the Giants shelter from having a lame-duck coach.

Coughlin is 64, will be 65 next month, and has been the Giants' coach since 2004. His regular-season record with the club is 65-47 (. 580) and he is 4-3 in the postseason.

"As I was when I was hired in 2004, I am grateful for the opportunity," Coughlin said. "To be the head coach of the New York Giants is the fulfillment of a dream for somebody who grew up where I grew up and when I grew up. As I have said roughly a thousand times, we're all on one-year contracts in this business, but the reality is that I am thankful to work for people like the Maras and the Tisches and with people like Jerry Reese and his staff, as well as my coaching staff and our players."

This will be Coughlin's eighth season as the Giants' coach. Only three other men in the 87-year history of the Giants have been the team's coach for at least eight years. Steve Owen coached for 23 seasons (1931-53). Allie Sherman (1961-68) and Bill Parcells (1983-90) each coached the Giants for eight seasons.

"As we said after the season, we strongly believe in Tom," Mara said. "We believe in the job he has done, and we believe in his ability to lead our team in the future. Everybody was on the same page in arriving at the extension."

"Nobody works harder than Tom at trying to make the team as good as it can be," Reese said, "and nobody pushes himself and his staff harder than Tom to try to figure out the best way to win."

The Giants also formally announced that former Patriots and Jets linebacker Larry Izzo has been hired as an assistant special teams coach.