Source: Spags to Coach in '12; Open to Birds
A source close to fired St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo says the former Eagles assistant intends to coach in the NFL in 2012. He expects to have several options, but would be open to the idea of returning here.
Source: Spags to Coach in '12; Open to Birds
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Steve Spagnuolo, fired this week as head coach of the St. Louis Rams, has considerable cachet as a defensive coordinator, despite his 10-38 record in three seasons running the Rams. That's because Spagnuolo was the Giants' DC when they won the Super Bowl four years ago, and is considered by many to be the architect of that triumph. Before that, Spagnuolo was among the best and brightest on Jim Johnson's Eagles defensive staff.
Sometimes when a coach is fired with a year left on his deal, he prefers to sit back and watch, maybe do a little TV work, collecting the paycheck. A source close to Spagnuolo said today that is not Spags' mindset. The source said Spagnuolo, 52, expects to coach in the NFL next season, and would be interested in any opening that might occur with the Eagles.
That's news because the Newark Star-Ledger last week implied otherwise, noting that Spagnuolo was not happy his final year in Philadelphia (2006). When then-Birds offensive coordinator Brad Childress got the head coaching job in Minnesota, Childress wanted to take Spagnuolo with him as defensive coordinator. But Eagles coach Andy Reid said that when he was in Green Bay, Mike Holmgren had a rule about assistants who left to become head coaches -- they should build their own staffs, not pilfer from his. Reid said he wasn't letting Childress take anyone with him.
Of course, a year later Spagnuolo left for the Giants, and that all worked out pretty well for him. And last year at the NFL Scouting Combine, Spagnuolo took part in a dinner organized by former Reid assistants, Spags speaking appreciatively of his former head coach.
The source did not say Spagnuolo definitely is coming back here. He expects to have options, the source said, and no doubt he is interested in weighing them. We still don't know there is an opening with the Eagles. Team chairman Jeffrey Lurie seemed to send mixed signals on defensive coordinator Juan Castillo in Lurie's Tuesday press conference. There has been speculation that even if Castillo stays, Spagnuolo might return as some sort of assistant head coach, adding defensive savvy to the mix and perhaps positioning himself as Reid's logical successor.
All we know right now for sure is that Reid isn't going to do any sort of season wrapup press conference until the Castillo situation is resolved. And no such press conference has been scheduled.
This comment has been deleted.— Flyboy24
Comment removed.- For gosh sakes, Jeffery, grab him NOW......he will be a giant upgrade....and if Andy is upset, get Andy to give JC part of his money as Andy is the one who screwed JC with no talent and no philosphy....— nuggett
- Reid will probably NOT want Spagnola looking over Reid's shoulder.. and being a threat to take Reid's head coaching job.— frank105
- "orgasnized"?????? For Pete's sake - doesn't every modern word processing system have spell-check?— SMitchell
- The Eagles will futz around until someone else signs Spagnuolo. And then say "Yeah, we thought about him but we kept coming back to Juan and the way he turned things around in the last four games." Andy has no intention of getting a guy who would challenge his opinions.— NM Eagle fan
- This is so true. And the sad part is, it (the futzing) will be deliberately done. And then they'll announce that they "tried" to contact Spagnuolo but were unable to (before he signed elsewhere, probably the Giants). They'll lie in order to try to convince the fans that they were earnest in their attempts but Spagnuolo went in another direction. The Eagles front office are perennial liars led by the biggest liar of them all, literally and figuratively, Reid. — essell
- Why are people talking about spags as a future head coach. He hasn't proved anything as a head coach, if anything he has proven he isn't one. Bring him in as AHC or DC but don't make him out to be the next coming of AR only better. He hasn't showed that he deserves that mantle.— ceocreates
- Is Andy still the coach??— eagles2010
- Comment removed.
- I would have been happy to stick with Castillo, EXCEPT for the fat that Spags is available. If we could have had him last year, we would have. Jeff Lurie basically said as much in his press conference.— croozn
- Comment removed.
- Let Him go to NY.. We DO NOT WANT SPAGS!!!
SICKING WITH JUAN !!!— dmanphilly - I am just thankful that another reporter didn't just repeat the strange logic that the wide 9 stops him from being the DC. The wide nine is a technique not even really a formation(3-4, 4-3) and definitley not a defensive system. Someone said that(probalym an Eagles insider trying to set us up for why Castillo has to stay) and for half the season we have been listening to how the wide 9 dictates all. Balogna. As long as the DC runs the 4-3, the wide 9 can still be a big part of the equation maybe even used properly, like on obvious paassing downs? I haven't seen one reporter actually try to explain why a DC couldn't run blitz packages and use the wide 9. If anything with how fast Cole and Babin are on the edge combined with the gaps created when they line up in it, it should open up delayed blitzes between the tackles for LB's and safeties(which aslo can become effective run blitzes as well). If any reporter wants to write it, they should at least explain the technical reasons why it can't be done. If you want a clue, the reason that Spags/JJ protege might have an issue with it sometimes is because they occasionally drop back the DE in their Zone Blitz schemes. But truthfully, outside of when JJ was doing it with a different type of team(ahem, he had a HOF safety with a special set of skills that made him a force in the box and blitzing), does it really make that much sense to have Trent Cole and Babin dropping back? Didn't you all run McDermott out of town for doing exactly that? Somehow I think that is a minor issue. Sign Spags as AHC Defense with Castillo as his underlink(heck you can still call him DC if you want.) Wide 9 stays as well.— UncleStosh
- I agree with this. Well said. — Eaglefan1991
