For years, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been linked to head coaching positions as they open across the league. He's certainly earned another shot at being the main guy after being considered one of the greatest -- if not the greatest -- defensive coordinators of all time.
And now that the New York Giants have officially parted ways with head coach Brian Daboll, the Chiefs' worst nightmares might be about to become a reality. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Spagnuolo is going to be on their short list of potential candidates.
Steve Spagnuolo Could Leave to Coach The Giants
"Among the names I would keep an eye as the Giants, let's say, potentially look to, kind of regain some of the greatness of the Tom Coughlin era, I would say Steve Spagnuolo and Antonio Pierce to it as coach candidates, both guys they will look at. Lou Anarumo also has ties to the Giants organization," Rapoport said.
While the Giants should probably look for an offensive-minded coach to develop rookie QB Jaxson Dart, Spagnuolo also makes perfect sense for them. He won one Super Bowl in the Big Apple under Tom Coughlin, and while his 10-38 head-coaching record with the St. Louis Rams was far from flattering, it's been 15 years since his tenure there, and he has grown as a coach since then. It also shouldn't be forgotten that Spagnuolo was the Giants' interim head coach in 2017 after they fired Ben McAdoo.
Notably, Rapoport isn't the only one who believes the Giants could make a run at their former defensive coordinator. Former Giants running back Rashad Jennings also told TMZ that he sees Spagnuolo as a feasible candidate:
“Out of all the coaches that have coached, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ask Spags to come back to lock down that defense and get an offensive-minded coordinator to take over the offense,” Jennings said.
The Chiefs have rallied behind Spagnoulo's championship-caliber defense for years now. He's been instrumental in three Super Bowl wins, especially the last two. Kansas City's defensive leader has been great at maximizing the pieces he has, even though the Chiefs may not have the most prominent names on that side of the field.
That being said, Spagnuolo has most definitely earned his stripes and an opportunity to be the main guy running the show. And with one of the biggest markets looking for someone to lead a young star to the top, it's not a surprise to see him at the top of the list.