Rit on Tv - Coughlin reaction

>>ANCHOR: And while he has 2 Super Bowl rings and a long storied career coaching football in the NFL, but Tom Coughlin grew up, and began his career in upstate New York and many of those he worked with are still here. News 8's Tina Shively joins us now. Tina, Coughlin left a big impression. >>REPORTER: That's right, Maureen. Coughlin's former colleagues and players agree, there was no doubt that his style of coaching and dedication to the game would lead him to greatness. Today student athletes play lacrosse and soccer on this field at RIT, but in the early 1970s this was a common sight on the sidelines. Tom Coughlin coached football here from 1970 to 1973. The program was just a few years old when Coughlin took it over, but during his tenure led the team to a record of 16-15-2. >>LOU SPIOTTI: He was a first class guy, a stand-up person, a guy who would promise something and deliver, who would work harder than everyone else and led by example. >>REPORTER: Lou Spiotti was offered the job as head coach after Coughlin left. In 1979, Caledonia native Robert Poles Jr. crossed paths with Coughlin at Boston College. Poles played defense, and although Coughlin was the Offensive Coordinator, his presence was certainly felt in the locker room. >>ROBERT POLES: Just what he instilled, the expectation and the standard he set. It was either his way or the highway, and once you understood where he was coming from as a young man, that\'s when you started to thrive. >>REPORTER: Coughlin then moved to the NFL. In 2007, he won his first Super Bowl with the New York Giants. Coughlin\'s RIT family reached out to congratulate their former coach. >>LOU SPIOTTI: We got some T-shirts done and sent one to him and he took a picture with it holding the Super Bowl trophy and everyone got a kick out of that. >>REPORTER: As Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at RIT, Spiotti is proud to say Coughlin's roots began with his time on this field, as an RIT Tiger. >>LOU SPIOTTI: Tom was here four years but he left his mark. We\'re proud he was here, we're proud of what he\'s accomplished since, and I think he still has a fondness for RIT and if it didn't exist I don\'t think the feeling would be exactly the same. >>REPORTER: Tom Coughlin is from Waterloo, in nearby Seneca County. Following his first Super Bowl win the town held a parade in his honor, they tell me a similar yet unique plan is in the works this time around. In the newsroom, Tina Shively, News 8.