Steve Spagnuolo will return to the team that first taught us how to pronounce his name. After stints as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams and defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints and two years as a defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens, Spagnuolo will take over as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
Spagnuolo rose to fame with the Giants, building and calling the defense that beat the 18-0 New England Patriots in the 2007 Super Bowl. Spagnuolo replaces fired Perry Fewell, whose defensive unit finished ranked No. 29 in the NFL last season.
“I was hoping to take the next step, God willing, and be a coordinator again,” Spagnuolo said in a statement on the Giants website. “I’m ecstatic that it’s with Tom Coughlin. Tom is the highest character guy I know. The feeling I have is one of excitement. We’re going to work our butts off, and hopefully we will do great things together.”
Coughlin, who will be in a make-or-break year with the Giants in 2015, was excited to have his old friend back in the fold.
“Steve has so much enthusiasm in front of the room,” Coughlin said. “His defense has changed since he was last here. He worked in Baltimore with John Harbaugh and Dean Pees, and they are outstanding defensive coaches. He has studied defenses. Steve visited colleges and talked to college coaches, including Urban Meyer (coach of national champion Ohio State) to learn how to defend the spread offenses that have become so popular.”
Joining Spagnuolo’s staff is another former Rams coach, 2013 defensive coordinator Tim Walton. Walton will coach the secondary, replacing Peter Guinta. Walton was the defensive backs coach for the Detroit Lions from 2009-12. Walton’s Rams unit finished ranked No. 15 in the NFL in 2013.
Spagnuolo’s stint in St. Louis was far from successful, with a 7-9 finish in 2010 his best record with the Rams. He took over a Saints defense in turmoil during Sean Peyton’s BountyGate suspension, but lasted just a season with New Orleans and was replaced by Rob Ryan.
