Jaguars to add inaugural GM/coach Tom Coughlin into ring of honor - ESPN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tom Coughlin, the inaugural general manager and head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars before going on to win two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, will be inducted into the franchise's ring of honor during the 2024 season, the team announced Thursday.

Coughlin will become the seventh member of the Pride of the Jaguars, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Boselli, former players Mark Brunell, Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith, and inaugural owners Wayne and Delores Weaver. Coughlin is the first inductee since Smith in 2016.

«The story of the Jaguars cannot be told without Tom Coughlin and the influence he had on our expansion team and new fan base here in North Florida,» said Boselli, who was the franchise's first draft pick. «He is our foundational figure and the initial architect. He built our football operation and set it up for sustained success.

»Beyond all the remarkable on-field achievements, he also showed everyone how an NFL team could win off the field by positively impacting the communities surrounding us. Speaking for the PRIDE and the entire Jaguars organization, we are collectively excited to celebrate Coach and thank him for positive impact his NFL legacy will forever have on the Jaguars and throughout Jacksonville."

Weaver hired Coughlin to be the Jaguars' first head coach and general manager in 1993 ahead of the franchise's first season in 1995. He guided Jacksonville to a 68-60 record and four playoff appearances — including the 1996 and 1999 AFC Championship Games — during his eight-year stint with the team.

However, Coughlin also badly mishandled the salary cap when making a push to win it all in 1999. The Jaguars were $23 million over the cap in 2002 and needed to make five