Jan 182009
 

Giants Lose Steve Spagnuolo to the Rams: Giants’ Defensive Coordinator was named the new head coach of the St. Louis Rams yesterday. Spagnuolo joined the Giants in 2007 and his defense helped New York win an NFL Championship that same season. According to press reports, Spagnuolo contract is a 4-year, $11.5 million deal.

“I’ve very happy for Steve,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “He did a great job in his two years with the Giants. We’ve been very, very aggressive on defense and we’ve been able to have two very successful years back-to-back. Steve has made an outstanding contribution to our team and we wish Steve and Maria all the best.”

“When Steve came in, he was obviously very energetic, very enthusiastic, very thorough, very knowledgeable and he knew exactly what he wanted to do,” Coughlin said. “Steve is a very smart coach and he became a disciple, if you will, of the way I wanted the program to be handled as well as anybody I’ve ever seen in a first-year coach. He came in and assessed what I wanted out of a program and worked with our defensive coaches to get it done. He’s done an outstanding job both on and off the field, and he’s been a real Giant in terms of his contribution. We wish Steve well and we know he’s going to do very well as a head coach in the National Football League.”

“Obviously, it’s a great opportunity for him,” said DE Justin Tuck. “We are happy for him. He has done a lot for this organization in his short time here. Winning a Super Bowl in your first year as defensive coordinator is pretty impressive. I really think he has the skills necessary to be a successful head coach. He’s a hard worker and he quickly gained the respect of all his players. We wish him all the best.”

“I think Coach Spags is going to be very successful as a head coach,” said CB Corey Webster. “You could see when he first came in here, early on, that he is a stand-up guy. We all had to earn his trust, but once we did, we began to play the aggressive style defense we all love to play. He is an aggressive coach by nature and that’s what makes him fun to play for. Spags did a great job here, but we have great players and coaches who contributed to that and who will look to continue the success.”

“Everybody knows Coach Spags turned this defense around in his two years here, but just that and his defense’s stats are not what’s going to make him a good head coach,” said DT Fred Robbins. “He is well-respected by all of us as players. He’s more than a coach, it’s more than just football with Coach Spags. He’s a mentor and takes a personal interest in his players. I wouldn’t say he’s a players coach, but he knows what it takes to motivate his players. He gets us to work hard, but we have fun doing it and enjoy it, so it makes us want to work even harder.”

Who Will Be the Giants’ Next Defensive Coordinator?: Speculation is running rampant on who the Giants’ next defensive coordinator may be. Candidates mentioned by the media include Dom Capers (Patriots’ Special Assistant/Secondary Coach), Bill Sheridan (Giants’ Linebackers Coach), Mike Waufle (Giants’ Defensive Line Coach), and Peter Giunta (Giants’ Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach).

Gilbride Impresses Raiders?: According to The Star-Ledger, Giants’ Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride impressed the Oakland Raiders during his interview Thursday and is now a leading candidate to become Oakland’s new head coach.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Eric Kennedy

Eric Kennedy is Editor-in-Chief of BigBlueInteractive.com, a publication of Big Blue Interactive, LLC. Follow @BigBlueInteract on Twitter.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.