By Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor
New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin, the inaugural coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was in Jacksonville for a fundraiser Friday for the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation.
The foundation raises money for families with children battling cancer to help with financial assistance. His daughter, Keli, is the executive director.
Coughlin, whose Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008, took time to answer questions during a Friday morning telephone interview before the annual Wine Tasting Gala that evening.
What are your comments on the lockout?
The comments are positive in terms of we all believe that we are going to play, that it’s going to be settled. We have outstanding people in the NFL and the players union who are trying to resolve issues and get us back to work. We are confident that will happen.
Does that eliminate any of the anxiety? No. All we can do is be optimistic about it.
What are your comments on the Jaguars’ efforts to lift the blackouts?
I don’t have any comment on that. I don’t have enough information. I am rooting for the Jaguars and for the support from the community. We played them in a very, very competitive game.
How often are you in Jacksonville?
I don’t get here as much as I would like to. My job is basically 24/7 and usually in our business, your time is not your time, anyway. I look forward to the wine-tasting event. Our celebrity golf tournament is every spring. I look forward to that very much. Judy and I come as much as we can. We have family here.
Will you retire here?
Yes.
What is the status of the Jay Fund?
Due to the tremendous support of the great citizens of the greater Jacksonville area, as well as the wonderful support we receive in New York and New Jersey and that part of the country, the Jay Fund has done well despite the fact we have gone through some very difficult times in the economy.
When we decided to start the Jay Fund, the idea was to do the very best job we could and have the ability to meet the needs of families who are in very difficult times because they have a child with leukemia or other forms of cancer.
We started at a very humble level.
When a family goes through leukemia, everything comes to a standstill, where going to work becomes a difficult thing and meeting normal expenses becomes a difficult thing.
Unfortunately, it seems the number of children with some form of cancer rises. We know that the demands are there and we want to meet those demands. We have never turned a family away who was recommended to us. This is what we want to continue to try to do.
The wine tasting was sold out and the celebrity golf classic is May 22-23 at TPC Sawgrass.
How has fundraising changed during the recession?
We felt the sting of the recession as well, but we continue to grow and develop. We continue to meet the needs of our families. The reason we can is 93 cents of every dollar we receive goes directly to the families. Our administrative costs are very, very low and we keep it that way.
Your name on it must help.
It does, but the people behind the scenes are working their tails off to make it happen. I tell people I am just a part of the team.
What did you give up for Lent?
I try to do things in different ways. I am trying to recognize someone on a daily basis that I might be able to be nice to, to cheer them up, making their day a little brighter. To do something of that nature is a little bit more Christian than what I might give up.
Your predictions for next season?
I’m not much into that. The focus on everyone right now is to create a new collective bargaining agreement and to put our teams together and get back on the field. The draft will be normal this spring, but there are over 500 unrestricted free agents that are looking for a team. The teams and the players can’t do anything until the collective bargaining agreement is settled.
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