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Coughlin leads the pack
Sam Farmer
How should these four coaches be sorted? The one definitely headed to Canton? It's Bill Belichick. The one with the most recent ring? It's Tom Coughlin. The hungriest? It's John Harbaugh. The one who has done the best job this season? It's Jim Harbaugh.
Obviously, all four know how to push the right buttons to motivate their teams, and each understands how to build a team for success in January (and maybe February), so ranking them is a little like grabbing names out of a hat.
Each fits his particular franchise. So this ranking is based on who has had the most impressive victories in this season's playoffs: Coughlin, Jim Harbaugh, Belichick, John Harbaugh.
The best: Belichick
Dave Hyde
Sun Sentinel
1. Bill Belichick. He has an elite quarterback, but he's held a weak defense together with gum and baling wire.
2. Jim Harbaugh. He's transformed Alex Smith into a a real quarterback. He put his best offensive players — Vernon Davis and Frank Gore — in position to deliver Saturday. And when the Saints took the lead — twice — in the final few minutes, his team didn't buckle.
3. Tom Coughlin. He's old-school tough with the most balanced formula out there. Mainly, he throws the ball with Eli Manning and defends the throw with the rush of a great defensive line.
4. John Harbaugh. He's ridden the defense this far, as usual. But the offense hasn't progressed.
Three rings say it all
Brad Biggs
It's hard to pick against Bill Belichick in any forum, let alone this one where his three Super Bowl rings put him at the top of the list.
Tom Coughlin comes next because he also has a championship, defeating Belichick and the Patriots just four years ago.
