Chiefs hire Steve Spagnuolo as new defensive coordinator

[TLO]

The #Chiefs are hiring Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator, sources say. The former #Giants DC and interim HC/#Rams HC began his NFL coaching career as an #Eagles assistant under Andy Reid. Now rejoins Big Red in KC.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 24, 2019

[xztop123]

Bring bill cowher in for an interview

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Lower. I don’t see how he’s ahead of any of these guys:

Aside from the offensive guys, he doesn’t even appear to be a top 3 defensive coach candidate.

Vrabel, Glenn and Saleh all seem higher on peoples list.

Don't know what people see in Saleh. Yeah, he's elite with one side of the ball, but then we're getting yet again into the head coach model of the mastermind coordinator who can't seem to nail all the CEO-type responsibilities required of guys who want to be the top coach.

It's really hard to see him as much more than a Vic Fangio. I'm sure he can win you lots of games if the QB is stable and the offensive coaching staff is top tier, but take either of those away and the best he can do for your franchise is tread water. And not even consistently, either.

[NJChiefsFan]

The Chiefs found 2 great weapons and have a very young defense and are going to rebuild? Because they lost a DC and a tight end that they drafted (and found) weapons to replace?

[UChieffyBugger]

Steve Wilks and Lou Amarumo would be my two choices if Andy doesn't promote in-house. Both are proven and experienced guys just like Spags was before we hired him. Cullen had one year as a DC for the Jags under Urban Meyer and that obviously didn't go well. Merrit has been with Spags at NY and with us and if Spags leaves my bet is he takes Dave with him as DC if we don't give Dave the DC job.

Obviously we should all be praying that Spags stays but if he doesn't then I'd personally want a proven, experienced guy who has operated at the top level and not a guy who is learning on the job whilst we're in the middle of this incredible period. Spags won a superbowl before he came here. Wilks and Amarumo have been to a superbowl themselves. So that's why I'd look at them.

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by UChieffyBugger

Steve Wilks and Lou Amarumo would be my two choices if Andy doesn't promote in-house. Both are proven and experienced guys just like Spags was before we hired him. Cullen had one year as a DC for the Jags under Urban Meyer and that obviously didn't go well. Merrit has been with Spags at NY and with us and if Spags leaves my bet is he takes Dave with him as DC if we don't give Dave the DC job.

Obviously we should all be praying that Spags stays but if he doesn't then I'd personally want a proven, experienced guy who has operated at the top level and not a guy who is learning on the job whilst we're in the middle of this incredible period. Spags won a superbowl before he came here. Wilks and Amarumo have been to a superbowl themselves. So that's why I'd look at them.

If he doesn't go back to SF first, I'd add Robert Saleh to that list as a talented DC. Two guys from Reid's tree to keep an eye on would be Ron Rivera and Leslie Frazier. Frazier, however, has an Assistant HC title with Seattle, so he might not be available.

[UChieffyBugger]

Originally Posted by kccrow

If he doesn't go back to SF first, I'd add Robert Saleh to that list as a talented DC. Two guys from Reid's tree to keep an eye on would be Ron Rivera and Leslie Frazier. Frazier, however, has an Assistant HC title with Seattle, so he might not be available.

Yeah I would have named him but I just saw he's been talking to the Niners so I'm not expecting him to still be on the market if Spags leaves tbh.

[Basileus777]

Originally Posted by kccrow

If he doesn't go back to SF first, I'd add Robert Saleh to that list as a talented DC. Two guys from Reid's tree to keep an eye on would be Ron Rivera and Leslie Frazier. Frazier, however, has an Assistant HC title with Seattle, so he might not be available.

Keep Saleh away, I don't want his outdated Seattle scheme.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Don't know what people see in Saleh.

I wouldn't call it an overly cerebral philosophy. In fact I'd argue it's reliant on a plethora of talent to win their battles and isn't difficult for experienced QB's to take apart and advantage of.

Do not want.

I do want another attacking defensive mind though. Attack on offense and on defense.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Rausch

I wouldn't call it an overly cerebral philosophy. In fact I'd argue it's reliant on a plethora of talent to win their battles and isn't difficult for experienced QB's to take apart and advantage of.

Do not want.

I do want another attacking defensive mind though. Attack on offense and on defense.

Hell, the Bangles just fired their defensive mastermind. I'd welcome him aboard to ass blast the only QB in the AFC that's presented us problems.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by NJChiefsFan

The Chiefs found 2 great weapons and have a very young defense and are going to rebuild? Because they lost a DC and a tight end that they drafted (and found) weapons to replace?

Well, ordinarily, that's what that would mean.

But not when you have Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

I would prefer to promote from within should Spags leave; keep the 'system' such as it is, and just stay with it. The 'system' is really loose in this case, it seems to be more just about disguising what are the same coverages everyone uses-it's just that by prioritizing flexibility in personnel You don't know who's doing what on any particular down. That, and being aggressive. That's not something that really gets 'solved'.

[Hammock Parties]

If the Ravens win and Zay remains out, this is how we attack them. They don't have the receivers to beat the blitz with Zay out. And they always have protection issues against us.

The ENTIRE defense is healthy going into the AFCCG. Huge.

.@HoustonTexans @Chiefs bad job in ptotection! Spags wins 2 plays in a row #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/OQVToVL1vk

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) January 18, 2025

[St. Patty's Fire]

Originally Posted by Basileus777

Keep Saleh away, I don't want his outdated Seattle scheme.

yeah zero interest in that sort of “we do what we do no matter what!!!” defensive coaches who won’t/are slow to adjust cuz they believe too heavily in their scheme

what makes spags so great is his unmatched versatility in playcalling

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by St. Patty's Fire

yeah zero interest in that sort of “we do what we do no matter what!!!” defensive coaches who won’t/are slow to adjust cuz they believe too heavily in their scheme

what makes spags so great is his unmatched versatility in playcalling

Look back towards the beginning days of this thread. A lot of people thought that key strength of Spags to adjust as the game goes along was a weakness.

They didn't word it in those terms, but they used words like "reactionary" and thought he'd be running a passive defense that's constantly chasing after what the opposing offense does.

[Wallcrawler]

Originally Posted by St. Patty's Fire

yeah zero interest in that sort of “we do what we do no matter what!!!” defensive coaches who won’t/are slow to adjust cuz they believe too heavily in their scheme

what makes spags so great is his unmatched versatility in playcalling

Lol.

Spags is very much a "do what I do no matter what" guy. Have you already forgotten his insistence on playing an Anthony Hitchens wearing cinderblock sneaks?

How about Dan "Throw Here" Sorenson? Ha ha. All NFL coaches are going to do what they want, and the KC coaching staff is no different.

The Texans coming out of half, holding the football ten minutes and surrendering what should have been the game tying score suggests to me, that Spags was stuck in an "I can stop em playing soft" mode.

5 plays in, nope, it'll work. It'll work just stick with it.

10 plays in, ha ha still not changing, it'll work God dammit.

15 MOTHER **** YOU SPAGS plays later for 82 yards taking 10:24 of the third quarter and a touchdown later, it finally ****ing clicks that oh hey, yeah that didn't work.

After pulling his panties back up, and bleeding from his asshole down both legs, we saw him get that mindset changed real quick. The problem is that you should not need to get bukkake'd on national television allowing them to hold the football for damn near an entire quarter on one drive before you understand your shit ain't right.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a team come out of half in the ****ing playoffs, and get the train run on them marathon style like that.

Spags was in bad need of goggles and a snorkel to survive the load that Slowic dropped on his ****ing face after that 1st possession of the third quarter.

Fortunately, it appears that those 15 plays were their best shot, and they didn't have much left after that.

[bringbackmarty]

Steve spag about to be the next head coach of... The Kansas City Chiefs. We win it all this year, andy, trav, maybe CJ ride off. Spags takes over. I'm good with that.