Read: Willie is Coughlin
In a report for the New York Post, Joel Sherman compares Willie Randolph’s current position with the Mets to where Giants coach 
Tom Coughlin was heading in to last season.
Ultimately, Sherman writes:
“It was not long ago that the general opinion was that Coughlin could never reach his players, that he did not know the buttons, did not have the temperament. Then it changed in that New York minute, a super transformation…Randolph shunned the comparison, stating his career is more than 2008…But no matter how you look at it, this season is going to be a huge part of Randolph’s biography. Will he emerge a giant?”
…i think it’s a fair and clever comparison…on a lot of levels, as sherman explains…
…i still believe, the only way willie is not back in 2009 is if the team does not make the playoffs in 2008…and i’m not even sure that is hard and fast…i mean, if the Mets win 90 games, play hard and just get beat - not like last year, in which the Mets essentially stumbled and lost their grip, but if they actually get beat - i could see him staying on…however, if the team stumbles and loses, or if they play uninspired, well, i suspect willie will be toast…the same can be said for the playoffs, too, i would think…
…however, as coughlin proved, this sort of debate can easily be rendered moot…either way, it’s premature…
