Fassel was the Giants’ offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 1991 to 1992, returning as head coach from
1997 to 2003.
Fassel was voted NFL Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach after transforming the Giants from a 6-10
team to a 10-5-1 squad and leading them to the NFC East title and the NFC’s third-best record.
Fassel was credited with reviving quarterback Kerry Collins’ career in 2000, and he famously promised that the
squad would make the playoffs.
The Giants finished 12-4 that season, winning the NFC East, and rode the wave all the way to Super Bowl XXXV,
where they were upset by Ray Lewis and the powerful Baltimore Ravens.
“On behalf of the Mara and Tisch families, as well as our entire organization, I would like to extend our heartfelt
sympathies to the Fassel family and Jim’s friends. We were all devastated to hear about Jim’s demise. Jim was a
good man whose record as our coach speaks for itself. Jim distinguished himself by leading our team and dedicating
his efforts to firefighters and other families in the aftermath of 9/11. The players admired Jim and enjoyed playing
for him and his coaching staff. And we value his seven years as our team’s leader,” Giants co-owner John Mara said
in a statement.
After his time with the Giants, Fassel joined the Ravens as an offensive consultant in 2004 before taking over as
offensive coordinator the following season, a role he held for a little more than a year. After his firing in 2006, he
spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons as a color commentator for Westwood One radio. He later became the head coach
of the UFL’s Las Vegas Locomotives from 2009 to 2012, winning two league titles in that time.
