Giants' QB Coach Retires, Reportedly to Take Over UFL's Sentinels

New York Giants quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer announced his retirement Friday, apparently to become the head coach of the UFL's New York Sentinels.

Citing MSG.com, the New York Daily News reported that Palmer, who held his position with the Giants for the last three seasons, will replace Ted Cottrell as head coach of the Sentinels for the UFL's second season.

The newspaper also reported that the franchise will move to Hartford, Conn., where the league had hinted that it might expand to last season after the Sentinels played one of their home games at Rentschler Field. Palmer had been offered the job weeks ago, the Daily News said, but took time " to consider all his options."

A spokesman for the UFL could not immediately be reached by FanHouse for comment.

Palmer has been lauded for his role in the development of Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who has evolved from a shaky young signal-caller to a Super Bowl MVP under his tutelage.

"I think Chris was an excellent addition to our staff," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "I hired Chris to be my offensive coordinator in Jacksonville. Because of my knowledge of his unique abilities as a quarterback coach I wanted him here and I wanted him to be able to work with Eli. He came in and we had a historic year here in 2007 (winning Super Bowl XLII). Eli had a great playoff run and Chris was a part of that.

"Chris did an outstanding job coaching Eli. He has been Eli's coach and confidant in the years that he's been here. Eli and Chris had a very good working relationship. I believe Eli has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the National Football League, and I see nothing but continued improvement in the future. Chris was very well thought of here. Ownership thinks highly of Chris and so do I. We wish him well going forward."

According to the Daily News, Palmer decided to move to the fledgling UFL because of the shorter season, decreased workload, increased power and a chance to live closer to his home in Connecticut, if the Sentinels do move from New York. They were unable to fill cavernous Giants Stadium and had to move a game out of Citi Field to a more intimate setting at Hofstra University last fall.

Palmer, 60, has been a coach for 38 years, including 20 in the NFL. He was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1999-2000 and twice worked as an assistant under Coughlin, first as the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator in 1997-98 and with the Giants since 2007. He also coached for both of Houston's franchises -- the Oilers and Texans -- as well as the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys.

However, he had done some of his most impressive work with Manning and the Giants.

"I had a great run with the Giants," Palmer said. "I want to thank the Maras and the Tisches for three great years. I enjoyed my time there very much. And it was not only the players, but the people and the organization. It was a very, very good situation for me."

"I really enjoyed working with Coach Palmer," Manning said. "Over the last three years we've had some great success and I've improved as a quarterback. He's a terrific coach when it comes to technique. He's great not only on the field but also in the meeting room. I'm really sorry to see him go."

He reportedly will take those talents to the UFL, currently a four-team league that hopes to help players on the fringe of the NFL get back to the league or to it for the first time. In its inaugural season, the UFL had very little media exposure and, in fact, played most of its season in virtual anonymity.

The Sentinels were the lone winless team in the UFL, which crowned its first champion in November, when the Las Vegas Locomotives -- coached by Coughlin's predecessor with the Giants, Jim Fassel -- defeated the previously unbeaten Florida Tuskers in overtime.