Jets, Raiders Request Steve Spagnuolo HC Meetings

1:04pm: The Raiders have also asked Spagnuolo for a meeting about their HC post, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. Las Vegas’ HC search is just now taking shape, and age does not appear to be an issue for the AFC West club. The Raiders have reached out to Bill Belichick, despite his North Carolina agreement, and now have another seasoned defensive coach on their radar.

Spagnuolo and Belichick’s HC stints could not feature a much greater disparity, but the longtime Reid assistant has certainly proven his worth as the Chiefs have followed Belichick’s Patriots in forming a dynasty this century. This will be a banner offseason for Spagnuolo, who has struggled to shake off his St. Louis stay to secure HC interviews.

12:49pm: Steve Spagnuolo has used his Kansas City stay to stamp his credentials as one of the greatest coordinators in NFL history. Elevating a defense that had held Patrick Mahomes back in 2018, Spagnuolo has helped a Chiefs that suddenly has not been able to count on top-shelf offensive work over the past two seasons.

The veteran DC’s first head coaching stint, however, has done plenty to keep him off the radar. Spagnuolo went 10-38 as Rams HC from 2009-11, plunging off the radar for future consideration. But he is now a four-time Super Bowl-winning DC. The Jets are interested in meeting with him and have sent an interview request, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. Spagnuolo is currently tied to a Chiefs extension he signed shortly after the 49ers showed interest in poaching him.

This Jets HC search has shown the team is interested in experienced options. Spagnuolo joins Chiefs coworker Matt Nagy, Mike Vrabel, Brian Flores, Vance Joseph, Arthur Smith, Ron Rivera and ex-Jets leader Rex Ryan as former HCs to receive interview requests out of New York. Current Saints interim HC Darren Rizzi received a Jets interview slip, too.

Multiple factors are working against Spagnuolo. The former Giants Super Bowl-winning defensive boss is now 65; only Bruce Arians (66) has been older and hired as a head coach. Spags’ win percentage between his St. Louis stay and four-game run as interim Giants HC in 2017 checks in as the third-worst in NFL history (.212) — ahead of only ex-commissioner Bert Bell and Hue Jackson.

This notification probably will come as welcome news to Spagnuolo, who has pushed to receive consideration at multiple points during his Kansas City stay. The Chiefs have regularly been able to rely on their defense during Spagnuolo’s six-season stay, creating a lethal combination of a sound defensive unit supplementing Mahomes and Andy Reid on offense. This formula has resulted in three Super Bowl wins and four appearances since Spagnuolo’s 2019 arrival. The Chiefs’ drop off the top tier on offense over the past two years has highlighted the importance of Spagnuolo’s defensive acumen.

Spagnuolo was the architect of the Giants’ titanic Super Bowl XLII upset of the unbeaten Patriots as well, leading to the Rams’ HC job. A 7-9 2010 season — Sam Bradford‘s rookie year — came between two woeful campaigns. The Rams finished 2-14 in 2009 and 1-15 in 2011. That tenure has crushed Spagnuolo’s second-chance HC hopes, allowing the Chiefs to enjoy continuity on defense. This is Spagnuolo’s first known HC interview request since he joined the Chiefs.