Spagnuolo's circuitous career far from complete
01/30/2008 -
By Jim Ralabate
PA SportsTicker Staff Writer PHOENIX (Ticker) - When DeShawn Wynn raced into the end zone at
Giants Stadium almost 4 1/2 months ago, only one word was on
Steve Spagnuolo's mind - patience. Wynn's 38-year touchdown jaunt was the final blow of the Green
Bay Packers' 35-13 victory over the New York Giants in Week Two. What was even more distressing was that it was the 11th
touchdown surrendered in just two games by the Giants defense,
which looked lost and overmatched in its second contest under
Spagnuolo. But despite the team's 0-2 record, the 80 points on his
defense's tab and the rabid New York media calling for his head,
the first-year defensive coordinator continued to live by the
one-word credo that helped him land in the Big Apple in the
first place - patience. "Right from the beginning when we got together with the coaches
in New York in January and February, we talked about patience,"
he said. "We knew it was going to take a little bit of time." Spagnuolo, 48, certainly did not have any quick-fix solutions
for a defense that ranked 25th in the NFL last season. To say
that the Giants got off to a slow start this year is an
understatement - the blowout loss to the Packers followed a
45-35 defeat at Dallas in the season opener. However, Spagnuolo did not let the back-to-back horrendous
performances discourage him. His coaching career up to that
point had been filled with humbling experiences and
disappointments. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Spagnuolo
embarked on a circuitous career which included coaching
positions at five different colleges, scouting gigs with the
Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers and even two separate
stints in NFL Europe from 1982 to 1998. Spagnuolo finally landed his first semi-permanent NFL job in
1999, when he was hired as a defensive assistant with the
Philadelphia Eagles. Over the next eight years, Spagnuolo worked diligently under
highly respected Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, to
whom he attributes his aggressive coaching style. "The way (Johnson) did things and the way he went about things
has certainly been a strong influence on what we do now," said
Spagnuolo, whose defense is four days away from taking on the
record-setting offense of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl
XLII. The outlook wasn't always so rosy for Spagnuolo, who was in the
running for the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator
position during the winter of 2005-06 before ultimately losing
out to Mike Tomlin. Two years later, on the heels of masterminding a defense that
has locked down Brett Favre, Tony Romo and Jeff Garcia - all Pro
Bowl selections this season - in the playoffs, Spagnuolo no
longer is a no-name afterthought assistant. In fact, the man known as "Spag" has become one of the most
sought-after potential head coaches on the market. "It's a little overwhelming," Spagnuolo admitted. "Quite
honestly, when I first took the job in New York back in January,
all of my focus and energy was on being the defensive
coordinator in New York. I did not plan on other things to
happen. "It is flattering. Hopefully we can get done what we need to
get done here and take care of everything else. Things happen
for a reason." Spagnuolo uses the same line of thinking in regard to his
defense's poor start this season - a hardship that evidently
helped to galvanize a unit which ranked seventh in the NFL and
led the league in sacks. Even more impressive than the numbers is the bond formed among
the players on a defense which consistently underperformed and
complained under former coordinator Tim Lewis. "Spag is a good coach, a great person," linebacker Antonio
Pierce said. "What he brought to the team is what we needed - a
bounce, a positive and a negative. He pats us on the butt when
we do well, but he always lets us know what we can do better
at." "He tells you exactly what he needs to get done," defensive end
Osi Umenyiora said. "If you don't do it, you probably won't be
playing." But how much longer will the Giants be playing under Spagnuolo? After all, an unexpected defensive masterpiece against Tom Brady
and the Patriots likely would jump-start Spagnuolo's head
coaching career similar to current New England coach Bill
Belichick, who parlayed the Cleveland Browns job out of his
brilliant gameplan against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. Still, Spagnuolo is sticking to his guns - and preaching
patience. "I've talked all week long to the guys about focusing on this
game, not having any distractions," he said. "I don't want to
be hypocritical." A refreshing approach, considering almost every football coach
would welcome the challenge of a head position in the NFL. But for Steve Spagnuolo, patience evidently has paid off. "I can't remember a situation in this business where I said I
wish I wasn't there or this is not what I expected," he said. "I
was able to coach in college. I was able to coach over in
Europe. I've been able to coach in the NFL. "It's been widespread and I wouldn't want to change anything."
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