EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ? Coach Jim Fassel knew what was coming. He would be fired after a season that began with Super Bowl hopes but turned into an embarrassment.

So, he figured, why wait?

He asked the New York Giants to announce his firing now and allow him to coach the final two games of the season. They agreed.

“It’s time. They need a change, I need a change. It’s the right thing to do,” Fassel said Wednesday.

After weeks of speculation about his future, Fassel requested a meeting with the owners Tuesday. That’s when he was told his seven-year tenure with the team was over.

Fassel leaves as the third winningest coach (60-54-1) in the Giants’ 79-year history — behind only Steve Owen and Bill Parcells.

Fassel faces Parcells’ new team in Dallas on Sunday, trying to prevent the Cowboys from clinching a playoff berth.

A Super Bowl team three seasons ago, the Giants (4-10) were expected to contend again this year but have dropped six straight games. It’s the team’s longest losing streak in 10 years.

The low point came Sunday night with a 45-7 loss in New Orleans.

“We’re a franchise in trouble now,” said John Mara, the Giants’ executive vice president and son of owner Wellington. “We just need to make the right decision.”

General manager Ernie Accorsi said there is no timetable for hiring a new coach.