Former New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been hired as the new Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator.
A former New York Giants defensive coordinator has found a new home.
On Thursday, per Mike Florio of NBC Sports, Steve Spagnuolo was hired as the new Chiefs defensive coordinator.
Spagnuolo was previously the Giants DC from 2007-08 and then again from 2015-17. He interviewed for the Giants head coaching position last offseason, but was ultimately passed on for Pat Shurmur.
The Chiefs fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton on Monday. This came just one day after Kansas City lost to the Patriots 37-31 in the AFC Championship game. The Chiefs defense, this past season, were 31st in the NFL with 405.5 yards allowed per game. They were also 24th in the NFL with 26.3 points allowed per game.
Spagnuolo isn’t new to working for Chiefs head coach Andy Reid either. He previously worked on the Philadelphia Eagles’ coaching staff from 1999-2006 when Reid was the head coach there.
During his tenure in Philly, Spags initially started out as a defensive assistant. He then coached the defensive backs and then the linebackers later on.
“Steve is a bright defensive mind with a lot of coaching experience and success in our league,” Reid said this week. “I know him well from our time together in Philadelphia and I feel that his leadership skills and teaching abilities, combined with his scheme, will be a great fit for our team as we move forward.”
Between his two separate tenures with Big Blue, Spags was the head coach for the Rams from 2009-11, the defensive coordinator for the Saints in 2012, then a defensive assistant and secondary coach for the Ravens from 2013-14.
Here’s hoping that Spagnuolo finds success in Kansas City. Although they were the No. 1 seed in the AFC this season, that’s a defense that definitely needs some help.
