East Rutherford, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Due to events over the weekend, departing New York Giants General Manager Ernie Accorsi's most important contribution might be the training of new general manager Jerry Reese, topping the controversial trade that Accorsi made to bring big-name Eli Manning in as the franchise quarterback.

President John K. Mara and treasurer Jonathan Tisch evaluated the front office and coaching staff and opted for stability. They retained head coach Tom Coughlin, who is disliked by many players and most of the media, but was endorsed by Jeremy Shockey. Coughlin got a one-year extension.

With RB Tiki Barber retiring, Reese will have to provide a new running back for Coughlin. Green Bay's veteran Ahman Green is a free agent, and San Diego's Michael Turner is a restricted free agent. Coughlin must win and develop Manning, or he won't be around after next year. The firings of offensive coordinator John Hufnagel and his defensive counterpart, Tom Lewis, were more than a warning. Hufnagel was replaced by quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride, whose task is to make Eli more like brother Peyton.

Mara and Tisch may be playing a waiting game. Reese started in the scouting department in 1995, became an assistant in pro personnel and then took over the Giants' collegiate scouting four years ago. Accorsi saw something in the young man that others had not bothered to look for. Chris Mara, John's brother, worked closely with Accorsi and endorsed Reese. Chris Mara's own candidacy might have been blocked by Tisch, because as a Mara, Chris would not be fireable as a general manager.

Now, if the Giants don't settle down, respect their coach, and post a winning record next year, Reese will be part of the selection committee picking Coughlin's successor. The coaches available now are not nearly as attractive as post-2007.

Still under contract for next year but available after 2007 are Bill Parcells, he of the commanding presence with the Dallas Cowboys, and Bill Belichick. Either would fit nicely at Giants Stadium.

Belichick, the defensive genius who devises game plans that stop the offensive barbarians at the gates, might have been the real reason Parcells won the 1986 and 1990 Super Bowls with the Giants. Belichick has three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots, despite owner Robert K. Kraft's insistence on hewing to a budget that has led Pro Bowl players such as Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Deion Branch and kicker Adam Vinatieri to defect. There are rumors that Kraft has drawn the line on Belichick's salary, and that the two will part ways.

Belichick was never considered for the Giants job in the past because of his abrasive personality, but he has toned it down after being fired in Cleveland. He worked under Parcells with the Jets but refused to stay as coach with Parcells as the general manager because he knew that he would be a puppet under the great man. Belichick's move to New England was perfect for him and the Patriots.

Not unlike Parcells, Belichick is a New Jersey guy who owns a home on the Jersey shore and might like to return to the scene of his greatest triumph. One of the other available coaches may be the jinxed Marty Schottenheimer, who is now 5-13 in playoff games after the loss to the Patriots.