NFL Network: Spags didn't impress

by Ed Valentine on Jan 6, 2009 7:43 AM EST in New York Giants News

'Mr. Met' mentioned in a recent comment that he had seen an NFL Network report that Giants' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo did not appear likely to land any of the head-coaching jobs currently available.

I went and looked it up, and here is the report.

You never know about the accuracy of all these reports. There is so much speculation from so many sources it is hard to know who to believe.

If this is right however, it is great news for the Giants.

NFL.com is reporting that former Giants' coach Jim Fassel will interview for the St. Louis Rams' job.

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by Woogie526 on Jan 6, 2009 8:12 AM EST reply actions

Spags tanked the interview

Because he knows there is no better place to be than the New York Giants.

And good for Fassel, he deserves another shot, he’s a good coach, and a good guy. I hope he gets the job.

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 6, 2009 8:30 AM EST reply actions

+1

agreed about Fassel. It’s sad that he has been practically begging for a job, but the fact is that he deserves another chance. Not many coaches out there with a better resume than he has.

by cjmulrain on Jan 6, 2009 12:16 PM EST up reply actions

Tanked

I know ‘jrs’ is kidding about Spags tanking the interview. What i think, though, is that Spags didn’t spend much time prepping for these because he was concentrating on doing his job. Which, of course, is great news for us.

by Ed Valentine on Jan 6, 2009 8:52 AM EST reply actions

Just maybe

the conventional wisdom in picking head coaches is changing. Used to be, you made your reputation as OC or DC, then moved up to the next level. But the head coaching record of former coordinators has been spotty, to say the least.

So is it possible that Spags is perceived as a great DC, but not ready for prime time as head coach?

by django48 on Jan 6, 2009 10:24 AM EST up reply actions

It's a copycat league

So I think organizations are now looking for the diamonds in the rough, trying to find the next John Harbaugh, Mike Smith, or Tony Sparano.

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 6, 2009 10:27 AM EST up reply actions

Yes, but

who has won the SB the last several years? Those guys may help to turn the team around, but much more often than not there is no staying power (i.e. Mangini). We’ve seen many coords take over, change the atmosphere & suddenly the team is winning. Then 3 years later they are run out of town because they really weren’t ready.

The ultimate goal (SB) is still in the hands of the good, experienced HCs … TC, Cowher, Bellicheck, Dungy, etc. This is why teams are drooling over Cowher & Shanahan. Of course there is only so many of those guys to go around, so teams are left with looking for the diamonds in the rough & hope they get lucky.

by potroast on Jan 6, 2009 11:26 AM EST up reply actions

of course

Cowher, Bellichick, and Dungy were all coordinators immediately before becoming HC’s, and Coughlin was a coordinator before becoming HC at Boston College. Fact is, there’s really no “formula” for picking a great head coach. Sometimes coordinators become great coaches, more often than not they fail. Sometimes college coaches become great NFL coaches, more often than not the fail. Sometimes retreads become great coaches, more often than not they fail. Really the only way to guarantee you’re getting a good coach is to hire Parcells.

BTW, off topic, but in my fact checking to make sure Dungy and Cowher were, in fact, coordinators right before becoming coaches, I noticed that Cowher was the Defensive Coordinator and Dungy was the DB coach in Kansas City from 1989-1991, meaning Dungy worked under Cowher, and Schotty was the head coach. That’s an impressive coaching staff for a good but not great team.

by cjmulrain on Jan 6, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions

i thought Cowher

was a special teams guy?

by queler on Jan 6, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions

Understood

Yes they were cords, but I’m trying to make the point that they needed experience to win the big one. They weren’t fresh faced cords that came in & immediately won a SB & these new guys won’t either (even if they seem to be turning things around). It takes time & most teams do not have the patience for that.

by potroast on Jan 6, 2009 12:58 PM EST up reply actions

I think Mangini is great illustration on this because I think he’s a good coach & he’ll show it wherever he ends up. He needed time to grow into a good HC. He’s mentor is another great example.

by potroast on Jan 6, 2009 1:03 PM EST up reply actions

Mangina sucks

all of the Bad Belichik attitude and none of the coaching genius or defensive chops

You play to win the game!

by Simms-McConkey on Jan 6, 2009 1:05 PM EST up reply actions

to me,

the team that hires Spags is not going to get his best attribute, his defensive scheming. It’s just weird that if you are great at a job, you get another one with completely different qualifications. It’s like promoting the backup QB because he’s a phenomenal place holder

by queler on Jan 6, 2009 11:53 AM EST up reply actions

Mitch Hedberg:

“As a comedian, they want you to do other things besides comedy. They say "alright you’re a comedian, can you write? Write us a script. Act in this sitcom.” They want me to do shit that’s related to comedy, but it’s not comedy, man. It’s not fair, you know? It’s as though if I was a cook, and I worked my ass off to become a really good cook, and they said “alright you’re a cook… can you farm?”

Mitch is drop-dead hilarious. Unfortunately, he did actually drop dead. Many of his great lines can be found at:
http://www.brianmulholland.net/mitch.html

You play to win the game!

by Simms-McConkey on Jan 6, 2009 12:04 PM EST up reply actions

The problem you describe is common

and isn’t limited to football coaches. In fact, there’s a name for it.

by django48 on Jan 6, 2009 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

Fassel

amazing to me that Al Davis didn’t hand him the keys to the bus/train etc. You’d have to figure any head coach who got his team to the Superbowl would be in line for a job a lot faster than he has. Maybe the Rams have more sense.

We're only gonna score 17 points?

by big blue wrecking crew on Jan 6, 2009 9:15 AM EST reply actions

With the Raiders

It’s more like the keys to the Yugo.

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 6, 2009 10:27 AM EST up reply actions

Norv Turner has always been my measuring stick

He has gotten 3 head coaching jobs, with massive amounts of underachieving to show for it, while in retrospect Fassel probably overachieved more than we realized it at the time, and he’s only gotten one shot.

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 6, 2009 10:02 AM EST reply actions

Wow - check ME out, on the Front Page.

/ snaps suspenders
/ isn’t really wearing suspenders, so just snapping pretend suspenders
/ psyched about Spags possibly staying with the G-men after all

Save the neck for me, Clark.

by Mr. Met on Jan 6, 2009 11:19 AM EST reply actions

You are DA man!!

LOL!! The Spags report was a nice find.

by Ed Valentine on Jan 6, 2009 11:30 AM EST up reply actions

It’s pretty tough to try and get ready for multiple interviews all while preparing for a playoff game…

Bleeding Green Nation - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Jan 6, 2009 2:06 PM EST reply actions

Yes, but

that works both ways. If I’m a GM intervewing head coach candidates, do I really want to talk to a guy while he’s so distracted?

by django48 on Jan 6, 2009 3:45 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed

I think these teams that expected him to be all prepped and know everything about their squads were unrealistic. It’s really a crappy time to interview someone while they are in the middle of a playoff run.

by Ed Valentine on Jan 6, 2009 3:46 PM EST up reply actions