This is sad news. I know he was a terrible coach but two years of my early teens was spent rooting for him. Rest in peace.
Wow that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. RIP.
When I first started watching the Giants, Parcells was the coach. Handley was the eye opener to me that coaches suck for the most part and that you are lucky if a guy like Parcells is your head coach.
RIP coach.
I always felt bad for him in regards to the ‘Ray Must Go’ chants. He had enormous shoes to fill and the defensive core that built the championship teams were now past their primes. Poor guy had no chance in that situation.
ETA: I posted this before I had even looked at their record under Ray. 8-8 and 6-10 wasn’t worth a chant calling for his head. Damn were we harsh back then lol
We definitely got spoiled during the Parcells years. We were ready to burn the place down with an 8-8 and 6-10 record. We were in for about seven years of absolute a ass football.
rip
Somewhere I have a cassette tape of the press conference on the WFAN when they canned him
Sorry to hear it
Poor guy was dealt a real shit hand. He got the HC job right around draft time because all the other coordinators left for other jobs and Parcells waited until a month before the draft to retire.
We’ve had way worse head coaches since. Hopefully he found a peaceful quiet life after football.
RIP.
Was dealt a poor hand to begin with.
When Parcells was looking to retire after 90, Parcells wanted to be replaced by his protege and DC Bill Belichick. Only problem was George Young was feuding with Parcells and therefore passed on Belichick.
The second choice was the WR coach, one Tom Coughlin. However, since Parcells was taking so long to make a decision, Coughlin took the HC job at BC.
Imagine being the coach when you could have Belichick or Coughlin. Tough hand
Beating the 49ers on MNF at the gun to open the 1991 season was his crowning achievement.
Lost 6 of those 8 games that year by less than a TD.
Bad coach, decent enough guy. Following in Parcells footsteps was hell, however
RIP
Always felt bad that he reached the apex, lost his job, and then disappeared. Perhaps a forerunner of the modern media microscope that every athlete and coach now finds themselves in – for a lot of people, it’s just not worth it to keep putting yourself through it, and maybe it’s hard to blame him for wanting to fade into the background. All those “Ray Must Go” chants in the world’s most intense media market probably took its toll.
RIP Ray. You got dealt a tough hand, and while you may not have always made the right calls, you’re still Always a Giant.
Rip
Rip caloaxh handley
And don’t forget Carl Banks had this guy in a choke hold in the locker room
Weird cat and a terrible coach. His choice of Rod Rust to implement the horrid “read and react” defense is still amazing.
Oh man, RIP. Good guy.
While his head coach tenure here was obviously unsuccessful, I always feel bad that Ray had retreated so far into private life that he wouldn’t ever even discuss his coaching career with people that ended up getting in touch with him. It clearly left a really bad taste in his mouth.
Even if your head coaching tenure here wasn’t good, he still had two Super Bowl rings in his drawer and I’m not totally convinced he looked at those with fond memories, which is a shame.
And keep in mind he was basically failed up into that position. As much as we lionize Parcells and George Young, rightfully so, they really fucked this franchise over after 1990 between Parcells quitting in May and Young telling Belichick he’d never be a head coach.
22 comments
RIP. Nice guy.
The card counter
This is sad news. I know he was a terrible coach but two years of my early teens was spent rooting for him. Rest in peace.
Wow that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. RIP.
When I first started watching the Giants, Parcells was the coach. Handley was the eye opener to me that coaches suck for the most part and that you are lucky if a guy like Parcells is your head coach.
RIP coach.
I always felt bad for him in regards to the ‘Ray Must Go’ chants. He had enormous shoes to fill and the defensive core that built the championship teams were now past their primes. Poor guy had no chance in that situation.
ETA: I posted this before I had even looked at their record under Ray. 8-8 and 6-10 wasn’t worth a chant calling for his head. Damn were we harsh back then lol
We definitely got spoiled during the Parcells years. We were ready to burn the place down with an 8-8 and 6-10 record. We were in for about seven years of absolute a ass football.
rip
Somewhere I have a cassette tape of the press conference on the WFAN when they canned him
Sorry to hear it
Poor guy was dealt a real shit hand. He got the HC job right around draft time because all the other coordinators left for other jobs and Parcells waited until a month before the draft to retire.
We’ve had way worse head coaches since. Hopefully he found a peaceful quiet life after football.
RIP.
Was dealt a poor hand to begin with.
When Parcells was looking to retire after 90, Parcells wanted to be replaced by his protege and DC Bill Belichick. Only problem was George Young was feuding with Parcells and therefore passed on Belichick.
The second choice was the WR coach, one Tom Coughlin. However, since Parcells was taking so long to make a decision, Coughlin took the HC job at BC.
Imagine being the coach when you could have Belichick or Coughlin. Tough hand
Beating the 49ers on MNF at the gun to open the 1991 season was his crowning achievement.
Lost 6 of those 8 games that year by less than a TD.
Bad coach, decent enough guy. Following in Parcells footsteps was hell, however
RIP
Always felt bad that he reached the apex, lost his job, and then disappeared. Perhaps a forerunner of the modern media microscope that every athlete and coach now finds themselves in – for a lot of people, it’s just not worth it to keep putting yourself through it, and maybe it’s hard to blame him for wanting to fade into the background. All those “Ray Must Go” chants in the world’s most intense media market probably took its toll.
RIP Ray. You got dealt a tough hand, and while you may not have always made the right calls, you’re still Always a Giant.
Rip
Rip caloaxh handley
And don’t forget Carl Banks had this guy in a choke hold in the locker room
Weird cat and a terrible coach. His choice of Rod Rust to implement the horrid “read and react” defense is still amazing.
Oh man, RIP. Good guy.
While his head coach tenure here was obviously unsuccessful, I always feel bad that Ray had retreated so far into private life that he wouldn’t ever even discuss his coaching career with people that ended up getting in touch with him. It clearly left a really bad taste in his mouth.
Even if your head coaching tenure here wasn’t good, he still had two Super Bowl rings in his drawer and I’m not totally convinced he looked at those with fond memories, which is a shame.
And keep in mind he was basically failed up into that position. As much as we lionize Parcells and George Young, rightfully so, they really fucked this franchise over after 1990 between Parcells quitting in May and Young telling Belichick he’d never be a head coach.