Jim Fassel, who coached the New York Giants to the Super Bowl in 2001, dies at 71.
Jim Fassel, whose bold guarantee of a playoff bid late in the 2000 season seemingly catapulted the New York Giants to a spot in the Super Bowl, has died. He was 71.
Son John Fassel, special teams coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, confirmed the death to the Los Angeles Times.
He told the newspaper his father was taken to a Las Vegas hospital with chest pains and died while being treated Monday.
Fassel, the 1997 NFL coach of the year, guided the Giants from 1997-2003, posting a 58-53-1 record. He was 2-3 in the postseason, including a 34-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl in January 2001.
Fassel was an offensive coordinator with the Giants, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals before returning to New York as head coach after Dan Reeves was fired.
Taking over in 1997, Fassel inherited a team that had missed the playoffs five of the previous six seasons and led New York to the NFC East title at 10-5-1.
The Giants missed the playoffs the following two seasons. They appeared headed to the postseason in 2000 after opening with a 7-2 record, but consecutive losses to St. Louis and Detroit in November had many thinking the team was going to fold.
Fassel had other ideas. On Nov. 22, four days before a game with Arizona, the coach put his reputation on the line, telling the media to target him.
“I’ll take full responsibility. I’m raising the stakes right now,” he said. “This is a poker game, I’m shoving my chips to the middle of the table, I’m raising the ante. Anybody wants in, get in. Anybody wants out, get out. This team is going to the playoffs. OK. This team is going to the playoffs.”
The Giants finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak and won the NFC East title with a 12-4 record. Playoff wins over Philadelphia and Minnesota followed before the Ravens crushed them in the Super Bowl.