Former NY Giants Coach Jim Fassel Passes Away At 71

Former NFL head coach Jim Fassel has passed away at the age of 71. Fassel's son, John, confirmed that news to the Los Angeles Times late on Monday evening.

Fassel had a heart attack while under sedation after he was rushed to the hospital due to chest pain, his son told the Times.

Fassel became an NFL coach back in 1991 when he took over as the quarterbacks coach for the New York Giants. He was also the head coach of the University of Utah for four seasons (1985-89).

Fassel eventually became the Giants' offensive coordinator before moving on to accept the same role with the Denver Broncos in 1993. But after four seasons away from the Giants, he returned as the head coach in 1997. In his first season, he was named the league's Coach of the Year and eventually took New York to a Super Bowl against the Ravens in 2001.

Unfortunately, Baltimore won Super Bowl XXXV 34-7, but it was still a successful season for the Giants, who went 12-4 and won the NFC East.

Fassel stuck around in the NFL until 2006 and then reappeared as the head coach of a UFL team, the Las Vegas Locomotives, in 2009. He helped lead them to back-to-back UFL championships in 2009-10. He finished his coaching career when the league suspended play in 2012.

Overall, Fassel finished with a 58-53-1 (.518) record as an NFL head coach.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.