Steve Spagnuolo

49ers Showed Interest In Steve Spagnuolo

March 3rd, 2024 at 9:54am CST by Sam Robinson

Representing a significant reason the Chiefs prevailed in Super Bowl LVIII, Steve Spagnuolo remains off the head coaching radar. The veteran DC’s woeful Rams HC stint has kept him out of searches for top jobs, though he remains interested. But the Chiefs look to have seen competition emerge for their DC’s services.

The five-year Chiefs DC has a new contract in place, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the 49ers were interested in poaching him for their defensive play-calling post (subscription required). Spagnuolo coached last season on an expiring contract. The 49ers look to be going with a two-pronged approach to replace Steve Wilks, promoting Nick Sorensen to DC and adding Brandon Staley to their staff as well.

Spagnuolo has successfully rebounded from his rough St. Louis stay, helping Kansas City collect three Super Bowl wins over the past five years. The Chiefs, who had seen a basement-level defense do well to keep them out of Super Bowl LIII in Patrick Mahomes‘ first starter season, hired Spagnuolo — an ex-Andy Reid Eagles assistant — and saw that move play the lead role in their third Mahomes-era title. Despite the superstar quarterback being in his prime, the Chiefs were unable to string together a consistent offense this past season. But their No. 2-ranked defense led the way. The 49ers scored two regulation touchdowns to the Chiefs’ one, but Spagnuolo’s defense keeping San Francisco out of the end zone in overtime set up the dramatic second-possession finish.

The Chiefs moved to extend Spagnuolo the same day the 49ers fired Wilks, with the deal coming to pass hours before the San Francisco DC change surfaced. That adds some intrigue to this timeline, with ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano also indicating the team explored a Spagnuolo addition. The NFC champions appear to have sent out feelers here, but the Chiefs have made their intentions known regarding their top assistant.

Spagnuolo, 64, is set to earn around $5MM per year on his new Chiefs contract, Graziano adds. That places the four-time Super Bowl-winning DC on the top tier among coordinators. The Dolphins placed Vic Fangio on that tier last year, though that union lasted only one season. Given his age and poor showing in three seasons with the Rams, Spagnuolo is unlikely to earn another HC opportunity. But he will be in place to help the Chiefs pursue the Super Bowl era’s first threepeat.

Sorensen, 45, has been with the 49ers since 2022. He is three years removed from serving as the Jaguars’ special teams coordinator under Urban Mayer, making this an interesting appointment. Sorensen also worked alongside Robert Saleh on Pete Carroll‘s Seahawks staff, shuttling between ST and defensive roles. He and Staley, whose last run as a DC produced a No. 1-ranked unit (the 2020 Rams), will go about leading the 49ers’ effort to secure a title under Kyle Shanahan.

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo Remains Interested In HC Opportunity

February 19th, 2024 at 1:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Steve Spagnuolo is a four-time Super Bowl winner as a defensive coordinator, with three of his titles coming during his run with the Chiefs. He will remain in Kansas City moving forward, but he still has head coaching aspirations.

Spagnuolo spent the 2023 campaign in a contract year, but his unit delivered the best performance of his tenure en route to a second straight title. Kansas City allowed under 25 points in 20 of the team’s 21 games this year, marking a new all-time record in that regard. To no surprise, Spagnuolo was rewarded with an extension shortly after the Super Bowl. When asked about a hypothetical return to a head coaching position, though, he confirmed it is still on his radar.

“I’ve been asked this question a lot, I’ll answer it the same way,” Spagnuolo said during an appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio. “Absolutely would want to. We’re prideful guys in this business. It wasn’t a success when I was in St. Louis, although I think what gets lost in this is… in that second year in 2010, had we won the last game of the season we’re in the playoffs and hosting a playoff game against the New Orleans Saints. It didn’t happen, then we hit the lockout and things didn’t go well and we were gone.

“The answer to the question is yes, but I always follow up with this. If it never happens and it’s God’s will that I continue to do what I’m doing, I’m a blessed man.”

Spagnuolo went 10-38 with the Rams, and his only other NFL head coaching position came on an interim basis with the Giants after Ben McAdoo was fired in 2017. The 64-year-old has said in the past that he would welcome another HC opportunity, but his latest Chiefs contract will delay his chance to take charge of a roster at a minimum. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid‘s future has been a matter of speculation for multiple years, but he will remain in place for at least one more season.

Being promoted as Reid’s replacement could provide Spagnuolo with a path to another head coaching gig, but no firm timeline exists on when that could take place. For now, he and the Chiefs will set out on an offseason aimed at keeping the franchise poised for another title run.

Chiefs To Extend DC Steve Spagnuolo

February 14th, 2024 at 10:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Steve Spagnuolo has established himself as one of the best defensive coordinators in NFL history, picking up a fourth Super Bowl championship as an assistant Sunday night. Still off the HC radar, the Chiefs will take advantage.

The two-time reigning champions are giving Spagnuolo an extension, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Spagnuolo’s defense played a bigger role in helping the Chiefs rally to another championship. With Kansas City’s offense experiencing several speedbumps this season, the team depended on its defense. Spagnuolo will continue to lead that unit for the foreseeable future.

Spagnuolo, 64, coached in Super Bowl LVIII on an expiring contract, according to Rapoport. The former Rams HC has been in place under Andy Reid since 2019. That tenure resulted in the Chiefs elevating their defensive profile. Kansas City giving Patrick Mahomes a sturdy defensive safety net has allowed for the game’s premier active player to lead the team to three titles and four Super Bowl appearances. After a woeful tenure as a head coach in St. Louis, Spags’ tenure in western Missouri has bolstered his reputation as well.

Reid brought in Spagnuolo following the Chiefs’ shootout loss in the 2018 AFC championship game. Mahomes’ best statistical season ended with the quarterback on the sideline as the Patriots marched down for a game-winning touchdown in overtime. The Chiefs then fired six-year DC Bob Sutton and brought in Spagnuolo, who has regularly had his defense in top form late in the season.

This year brought Spagnuolo’s best work with the Chiefs. Although this success did not result in Tony Romo learning the correct pronunciation of the veteran assistant’s name, Spagnuolo’s defense ranked second in scoring and total yardage this season. An inconsistent Chiefs offense benefited from the team’s best defensive effort since perhaps the Derrick Thomas era.

While Spagnuolo has said on a few occasions he would pursue another HC job, that has not been in the cards. No team has requested an interview during Spagnuolo’s Chiefs years. The Rams hired the Super Bowl-winning Giants DC in 2009, but their modern-era nadir occurred soon after. In place as Rams HC for three seasons, Spagnuolo submitted 1-15 and 2-14 seasons in that span. A 7-9 slate ensued in between, but the Rams had seen enough by the end of the 2011 slate. Spagnuolo, who won his first ring as part of the 2007 Giants, returned to the DC level soon after. Finishing the 2017 season as the Giants’ interim HC, Spags landed the Chiefs gig. But HC interest has eluded the accomplished defensive play-caller.

The Chiefs held the 49ers to three field goals in their latest Super Bowl win. While Kansas City’s offense was far from dominant, its defense had done enough to keep the deficit at one score late in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs have questions regarding top defensive pieces Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed. Although the team wants to retain both, each sits weeks away from free agency. The Chiefs having Spagnuolo locked in will stand to help if they lose top personnel soon.

Pats’ McDaniels Not Getting Interview Requests?

January 16th, 2022 at 10:26pm CST by Ely Allen

In an article for NBC Sports, Mike Florio divulged that a source with knowledge of the situation informed him that Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hasn’t received requests to be interviewed by any of the eight teams currently looking for a new head coach. This development has surprised the Patriots, but they expect the situation to change soon.

McDaniels is a long time Patriots’ staffer, first joining the organization in 2001 as a personnel assistant. After a year, McDaniels worked with the team as a defensive assistant for two years before switching to the offensive side of the coaching staff. After one season as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach, McDaniels was promoted to offensive coordinator, developing the Patriots’ offense into the juggernaut that broke several NFL records in the 2007 season. His coaching success led to much speculation that he could be a top candidate for head coaching jobs, but he pulled his name out of the ring before the Patriots even finished their playoff run.

When McDaniels was able to lead a Patriots team quarterbacked by Matt Cassel to an 11-5 record, following a season-ending injury to Tom Brady in Week 1 of the 2008 season, the Broncos saw fit to name McDaniels as their new head coach for the 2009 NFL season. McDaniels’s tenure in Denver started with a six-game win-streak before losing eight of the next ten games to finish the season 8-8. After a 3-9 start to the 2010 season, and multiple controversies from his handling of difficult players, Denver decided they’d seen enough and fired McDaniels after Week 13. McDaniels spent a year as the offensive coordinator of the Rams, under Steve Spagnuolo, before returning to New England following Spagnuolo’s firing.

McDaniels has stayed in Foxborough ever since. He’s continued to draw head coaching interest here and there, even accepting the head coach position for the Indianapolis Colts in February of 2018 before backing out of his commitment on the same day to stay in New England, prompting his long-time agent, Bob LaMonte, to sever ties with McDaniels.

McDaniels’s handling and development of rookie quarterback Mac Jones has led to some speculation that one of the two teams that have both 1) a head coaching vacancy and 2) a young quarterback might show immediate interest in the 45-year old coordinator. Can Bill Polian overlook his lack of a good relationship with McDaniels and advise that the Bears bring him in to mentor Justin Fields? Will McDaniels decide that he can handle working for Trent Baalke and agree to take Trevor Lawrence under his wing? Keep track of McDaniels and other candidates in our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Steve Spagnuolo Hoping For Another Head Coaching Job

February 2nd, 2021 at 9:35am CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is focused on winning yet another Super Bowl on Sunday. But, sometime in the future, Spags would like to be a head coach again.

“I’d like to get another crack at a head-coaching job,” Spagnuolo said (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post) “But…listen, I don’t stay up nights thinking about it.”

Spagnuolo, 61, served as the Rams’ head coach from 2009-2011. Unfortunately, his St. Louis teams combined to go 10-38 across three seasons. After that, he bounced around and returned to the Giants during the Ben McAdoo administration before joining up with old pal Andy Reid. Things have gone pretty well in KC, but Spagnuolo is still looking for a shot at redemption.

“I’m a competitor like anybody else,” Spagnuolo said. “It didn’t go as great as we wanted to in St. Louis, except for that one year. It’s a proving ground, the NFL is the greatest proving ground of all sports. So that part of it, I’d like another shot.”

Spagnuolo didn’t pop up in this past cycle, but he could garner attention next time around — especially if he’s able to keep a lid on Tom Brady this Sunday.

Extra Points: Redskins, Agholor, Spagnuolo

February 8th, 2020 at 9:49pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Redskins and Ron Rivera are making a historic hire. Washington is hiring Jennifer King as an offensive assistant, a source told Adam Schefter and David Newton of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The news of the potential hire was first reported by Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic (Twitter link). King will now be the first full-time African American female assistant coach. As Schefter points out there’s some familiarity here, as Rivera had hired King as a summer intern when he was with the Panthers. It furthers a trend we’ve seen developing the past couple of years, as women continue to make more inroads into the coaching ranks. Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians has been a champion of female coaches, and he hired two women to full-time coaching positions on his staff before last season. King also coached with the Arizona Hotshots of the short-lived AAF.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Eagles fired offensive coordinator Mike Groh after the season ended, and it looks like they could be headed for a lot of turnover on that side of the ball. Receiver Nelson Agholor is “unlikely to return” next year, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. A first-round pick back in 2015, Agholor just finished the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, and is slated for unrestricted free agency. He missed the last month-plus of the 2019 campaign, but was pretty much always a full-time starter for Philly when healthy. He struggled with inconsistency and drops, but also had plenty of good moments with the Eagles. He scored eight touchdowns in 2017, and had at least 736 yards in each of his last two full seasons. Despite the sometimes maddening inconsistency, the 26-year-old USC product should draw plenty of interest on the open market.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo just won another Super Bowl, and he earned a ton of praise for his work with Kansas City’s defense. The unit made major strides from last season after he took over, and it sounds like he hopes to parlay the success into another shot at a head coaching gig. “Oh, certainly,” Spagnuolo told Zach Gelb of CBS Sports Radio when asked if he’d be interested in being a head coach again, via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “Listen, that desire and passion never changes. But I will say this . . . I’m a blessed man to have the job I have. If it’s not in God’s plans, I’m OK with that. But I’ve always kept preparing myself that way. It would be great if it happened, and if not, again, I’m very fortunate to be where I am.” The thought would’ve seemed like a huge reach a year ago, but Spags bounced back in a big way. He first rose to prominence as the Giants’ defensive coordinator, and his success in New York led to him becoming head coach of the Rams. He was fired after going 10-38 in three years as St. Louis’ head coach. He also served as New York’s interim coach for four games in 2017 after Ben McAdoo was fired.

Chiefs To Hire Steve Spagnuolo

January 24th, 2019 at 4:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs will hire Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a reunion for Spagnuolo and Andy Reid – Spags started his NFL coaching career in Philadelphia under Reid years ago and now joins him in Kansas City.

Bob Sutton was fired this week after the Chiefs’ heartbreaking exit in the AFC Championship Game. Soon after, the loud and lovable Rex Ryan was connected to the job, but former Giants and Rams coach won out over the ex-Jets coach, who may or may not have been a real contender anyway.

Spagnuolo didn’t coach in 2018, but he is highly respected around the NFL for his work as the Giants’ DC. The 59-year-old also comes with head coaching experience, as he led the Rams from 2009-11. We didn’t hear his name much in this cycle, but he was connected to the Broncos’ DC job at one point.

Sutton’s Chiefs D struggled in 2018 while the offense ascended to new heights. Clearly, there’s real potential for the Chiefs with quality pieces like Eric Berry, Justin Houston, and Dee Ford (if he’s re-signed) and Spagnuolo gets to re-enter the league with a plum job.

As the Giants’ DC, Spagnuolo’s defenses finished in the top 10 in 2007, 2008, and 2016. If the Chiefs can get anywhere close to those results, they’ll be very happy with their new hire.

Chiefs Eyeing Steve Spagnuolo For DC

January 23rd, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Giants defensive coordinator and interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo has emerged as the favorite to replace Bob Sutton as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Spagnuolo and Andy Reid worked together in Philadelphia and share the same agent, so this would be a pretty natural pairing in Kansas City.

Sutton was fired this week after the Chiefs’ heartbreaking exit in the AFC Championship Game. Soon after, the loud and lovable Rex Ryan was connected to the job, but it sounds like the former Giants coach has a leg up over the ex-Jets coach.

Spagnuolo didn’t coach in 2018, but he is highly respected around the NFL for his work as the Giants’ DC. The 59-year-old also comes with head coaching experience, as he led the Rams from 2009-11. We haven’t heard his name much in this cycle, but he was connected to the Broncos’ DC job at one point.

Browns To Interview Steve Wilks, Interested In Steve Spagnuolo

January 11th, 2019 at 1:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns are interviewing former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks for their open defensive coordinator position on Friday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Cleveland also has interest in former Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo and could meet with him in the near future, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Cleveland is searching for a new defensive play-caller after new head coach Freddie Kitchens dismissed Gregg Williams earlier this week. Given that he’s handling the offense, Kitchens would likely give his new DC great autonomy. As a former head coach, Wilks would be ready for that responsibility, and despite his lack of success in the desert, his 2017 Panthers defense played extremely well, ranking seventh in DVOA.

Wilks is unlikely to reunite with Carolina, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. There’d been some thought that Wilks would head back to the Panthers after his sole season with Arizona, but that won’t be happening. Carolina is retaining DC Eric Washington, while head coach Ron Rivera will call the team’s defensive plays.

Spagnuolo, meanwhile, didn’t coach in 2018, but is highly respected around the NFL for his work as the Giants’ DC. The 59-year-old also comes with head coaching experience, as he led the Rams from 2009-11.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Spagnuolo, Cowboys

February 15th, 2018 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants don’t have a ton of cap room to work with this offseason, but former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo seems to think that there’s enough defensive talent in-house to turn things around.

“We hit the injury bug,” Spagnuolo told Alex Marvez and Bill Polian on SiriusXM. “The most compelling thing to me was having to play five (middle) linebackers throughout the season…That’s no different than having to put five different quarterbacks in there. That’s the guy that kind of runs the show.”

Coach Spags was hoping to be a part of that turnaround and was disappointed to learn that he would not be a part of Pat Shumur‘s staff in New York. For his part, the defensive guru says he is intent on returning to coaching in the NFL.

“I’ve got a lot of football left in me,” Spagnuolo said. “I’m gonna coach again. I want to. I’m passionate about the game. I enjoy dealing with the players, teaching, mentoring — that’s what I think coaching is all about. “Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to sit back for a year. That may happen, it may not. There’s a slight chance of maybe working in 2018 still. But, if not, I’ll use this time wisely.”

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Center/guard Joe Looney didn’t start a game last season, but he’s among the free agents that the Cowboys need to retain, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. On two occasions last season, Looney did a solid job of filling in for guard Ron Leary and he also showed his value as a part of the team’s jumbo package – the formation in which Dallas replaces a tight end with an extra lineman. Retaining Looney shouldn’t cost much as his previous two-year deal paid him a total of $1.675MM.
Paul Perkins was not the answer for the Giants at running back and they’ll need to invest in the position this offseason. Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com looked at some possible options for the G-Men, including unrestricted free agents Dion Lewis, Carlos Hyde, Frank Gore, Jerick McKinnon, and Isaiah Crowell. Dunleavy notes that McKinnon would be a natural fit for the Giants thanks to his history with Shurmur, though he’s not necessarily built to be workhorse at RB. If the Giants want to go bargain bin shopping, names like LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Eddie Lacy, and Damien Williams might work for their limited budget. Last year’s rushing leader, Orleans Darkwa, is scheduled to reach free agency next month, and it’s not clear whether Shurmur sees him as a fit for his offense.
The Eagles need to re-sign defensive tackle Beau Allen, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com writes. Allen’s 20 tackles and one sack aren’t eye-popping numbers, but he was a key member of the D-Line and earned a respectable 74.5 overall score from Pro Football Focus. If Allen walks, there is no clear option to replace him, but the Eagles will have to plan carefully as they are roughly $9MM over the salary cap.
On Wednesday, Redskins safety Su’a Cravens was granted reinstatement by the NFL.

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