Caldwell, N.J. ? An embattled Tom Coughlin was given another year to coach the New York Giants on Wednesday after he convinced owners he could make Eli Manning a better quarterback and the team a winner.

“He has a vision and he understands how that vision can now move forward,” co-owner Jonathan Tisch said during a conference call to announce Coughlin’s one-year contract extension. “He did not have to save his job. He did not have to talk us into anything.”

Coughlin, 60, seemingly was on the hot seat after weathering a disappointing 8-8 regular season, fan and player unrest and a second straight first-round loss in the playoffs Sunday.

In the two days that followed, Tisch and fellow co-owner John Mara talked football and coaching philosophy with Coughlin, who had a year left on the deal he signed in 2004.

The owners didn’t ask Coughlin to make any changes, and they said they were satisfied he was the right man to lead the Giants.

“Tom Coughlin is our coach for 2007 and hopefully for many years after that,” Mara said. “That is the final decision.”

Terms of the one-year extension were not immediately available. Coughlin was to earn $3 million in 2007.

Coughlin said he appreciated the decision and was not surprised.

“I did not have any feeling I wasn’t going to be retained,” Coughlin said in a separate conference call.

Many questioned whether Coughlin, who has a 25-25 record with the Giants, was the right coach for a team that faltered a year after winning the NFC East with an 11-5 mark. Despite reports that players were tuning out their no-nonsense coach, Mara said Coughlin still had the respect of the team.

“I don’t buy that,” Mara said. “I think there is substantial support for him.”

Mara would not discuss whether Coughlin would be making changes to his coaching staff. He admitted there were bound to be fans who were not happy with the decision.

“I am certainly sensitive to what the fans think. I have received a lot of mail. But at the end of the day you can’t make decisions on what the fans say, but what your eyes tell you and what your experience in the game tells you,” Mara said.

Mara said a major part of the interview process was listening to what Coughlin had to say about Manning, and he was satisfied with the answers.