Less than a year after the Jacksonville Jaguars dismissed him, ESPN.com has learned that Tom Coughlin is back in pursuit of a high-profile NFL head coaching position, and that he will interview with New York Giants officials Monday.
Several NFL sources confirmed Coughlin already has spoken to the Giants concerning the vacancy created by the firing of Jim Fassel earlier this week. The interview will likely include executive vice president John Mara and general manager Ernie Accorsi.
The process of choosing a successor to Fassel, who will coach the final two games of the season, is expected to be a lengthy and thorough one. It is believed that Coughlin, who had a record of 72-64 in eight years with Jacksonville, will be the first potential candidate to interview for the Giants job.
John Mara and Accorsi, probably the point man in the search, will do much, if not all of the legwork. They will then present the most viable candidates to co-owners Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch.
Coughlin, 56, was an assistant with the Giants from 1988-90, working under Bill Parcells as the club's wide receiver coach. In 1993, he turned down the opportunity to become head coach of the Giants, choosing to remain at Boston College as head coach, and New York subsequently hired Dan Reeves.
The following February, the Jaguars hired Coughlin as coach, a full 18 months before the expansion franchise even played its first game. Coughlin led the Jaguars to four playoff berths and two appearances in the AFC championship game. The first of those came in just the second year of existence for the franchise.
Shortly after his dismissal last Dec. 30, Coughlin interviewed twice for the head coaching position in Cincinnati, but the Bengals hired Marvin Lewis. This summer, Coughlin was in four different NFL training camps as an unofficial consultant, and he has stayed close to the game. Coughlin has been speaking with contacts around the league over the past few months, seeking advice on potential assistant coaches, in advance of a possible return to the sideline in 2004.
In a strange twist, the Giants' unofficial evaluation process actually will commence in the swamplands of New Jersey on Saturday evening, and with a game that involves the team with whom they share a stadium.
Accorsi will attend Saturday night's game between the New England Patriots and New York Jets. Both of the New England coordinators, Romeo Crennel (defense) and Charlie Weis (offense), are thought to be on the original list of potential candidates. Accorsi will analyze, as much as possible under the limited scenario, how Crennel and Weis manage their respective units.
He will then fly to Dallas on Sunday for the Giants' game against the Cowboys.
Because of NFL anti-tampering rules, Giants officials will not be able to speak with the New England assistants until after the regular season, at the earliest. If the Patriots draw a first-round bye, Crennel and Weis could interview between Dec. 28-Jan. 2, according to the league guidelines.
The Giants could schedule interviews with coaches whose teams are not involved in the playoffs at the end of the regular season.
Weis was a Giants assistant 1990-92 and Crennel was with the team as an aide from 1981-92.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.