Former New York Giants head coach Ray Handley, who succeeded Bill Parcells and won two Super Bowls as an assistant, died last week at age 81. The Giants announced Monday that Handley's death was confirmed by his nephew, Rob Handley. Handley's tenure as head coach from 1991-1992 proved contentious, with a 14-18 record.

Handley joined the Giants in 1984 as offensive backfield coach under Parcells, with whom he had worked at Army in the late 1960s. After winning Super Bowls XXI and XXV as an assistant, Handley became head coach when Parcells unexpectedly retired following Super Bowl XXV. The transition proved difficult as he inherited an aging veteran team and made the controversial decision to bench quarterback Phil Simms in favor of Jeff Hostetler.

Despite being just 48 when he left the NFL, Handley never coached again in the league. He lost touch with the Giants organization over the years, becoming increasingly reclusive. When contacted by Newsday for a "Where are they Now" feature, Handley declined to comment. Giants owner John Mara later reflected that Handley was "one of Bill's right-hand guys" and "the brightest coach that we had," but struggled to connect with a veteran team accustomed to winning under Parcells.