Coach Jim Fassel was fired by the New York Giants after a disappointing season that began with hopes of reaching the Super Bowl.
"It's time. They need a change, I need a change. It's the right thing to do," Fassel said Wednesday.
He will coach the last two games of the season. Fassel had a year left on his contract at a salary of about US$2.5 million.
Fassel was told of the decision Tuesday in a meeting he requested with Giants co-owners Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch and executive vice president John Mara.
A Super Bowl team three seasons ago and expected to contend again, the Giants (4-10) have dropped six straight games to fall to last place in the NFC East. It's the team's longest losing streak in 10 years.
In seven seasons as the Giants' coach, Fassel is 60-54-1, including the postseason. He took the team to the playoffs three times, including a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2001 Super Bowl. Last season, the Giants made the playoffs at 10-6, then blew a 24-point third-quarter lead against the San Francisco 49ers and lost their wild-card game 39-38. The game ended on a botched snap.
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