Mike Sweatman

Defensive Coordinator (1975-76)

Mike Sweatman, originally from Kansas City, Missouri was a two-time, all-conference linebacker and three-time letterman at the University of Kansas (1965-67). During his senior year, he earned Academic All-American honors and played in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl.

Following college, Sweatman joined the Marine Corp and served four years of active duty as an infantry officer.  Upon release from active duty he joined the Marine Corp Reserve and completed 26 years of commissioned service before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.  Sweatman earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and a Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Kansas.  He and his wife Teri have three sons: Tom, Chris and Dan.

He began his coaching career in 1968 and coached college football for 12 years including as the Defensive Coordinator at CCC (1975-76). Sweatman spent 23 years coaching special teams in the NFL.  He went to three Super Bowls, winning two with the New York Giants in 1986 and 1990, the latter when Tom Coughlin was on the coaching staff.  Coughlin brought Sweatman back to the Giants in 2004 and gave him the title of Special Teams Coordinator because he considered the position as important as the offensive and defensive coordinator. The Giants’ special teams improved significantly under Sweatman.  The year before Sweatman arrived, the Giants averaged only 19.9 yards a kickoff return.  In 2004, they led the NFL in kickoff return yardage for the first time since 1953 with an average return of 25.1 yards.  The Giants’ average start following a kickoff was the 30.1 yard line, which was the best average starting point in the NFC and the fifth best in the NFL.  It was the third season in a row a Sweatman-coached team led the conference in that statistical category.  In Sweatman’s first season with the Giants, the average start was the 31.8 yard line, the best in the NFL.

The Giants’ punt returns also improved from an average of 5.1 yards in 2003 (32nd in the league) to 9.2 last year (8th).  Special teams standout David Tyree was voted to his first Pro Bowl, and punt returner Chad Morton was selected a first Pro Bowl alternate.  Jay Feely, a first Pro Bowl alternate, had the best season by a Giants kicker in history.  He led all NFL kickers with a team record and career high 148 points to become the first Giants kicker to hold the top spot since Dan Chandler in 1963 (106 points).  The 148 points shattered the previous record of 127 points, set by Ali Haji-Sheikh in 1983.  Feely set career highs and tied two Haji-Sheikh team records with 35 field goals and 42 field goal attempts.  Punter Jeff Feagles was a consistent and productive player in his 18th season, with a 42.1 yard gross average and a 37.0 yard net average.