Steve Spagnuolo must be Jets' top guy
January 3
New York Daily News columnist Gary Myers
"Steve Spagnuolo, who interviews for the Jets' head coaching job Saturday, comes from what might be the most impressive coaching tree in the NFL - the high-profile job of Giants defensive coordinator.
Bill Walsh's coaching tree with the 49ers is legendary. Then Mike Holmgren branched out from Walsh's staff and produced a new generation of head coaches. And, of course, Tom Coughlin was one of many future head coaches to learn under Bill Parcells.
But all those trees may be overshadowed by the former Giants defensive coordinators who excelled in that high pressure position and went on to do great things as head coaches: Parcells, Bill Belichick and John Fox.
Now that Bill Cowher has removed himself from the Jets derby, Spagnuolo is the best fit for the Jets. It's always hard to predict how a first-time head coach will do, but Spagnuolo gives every indication he will be able to make a seamless transition. He's had success in the biggest market in the country.
Although the Jets have decided to no longer consider Mike Shanahan, they are better off with Spagnuolo anyway. Shanahan did win two Super Bowls, but that was a lifetime ago. In the last 10 years, he is 1-4 in the playoffs. The Broncos collapsed worse than the Jets this season. Shanahan is straight from the recycling bin after he was fired Tuesday. Spagnuolo is red-hot. He comes with no guarantees, of course, but then Shanahan hasn't done anything since John Elway retired.
And you can't forget that coaching tree.
Parcells was promoted from Giants defensive coordinator to head coach in 1983 and won two Super Bowls in eight years and then made it to another Super Bowl with New England.
Belichick was Parcells' defensive coordinator on two Super Bowl winners, and then after making the playoffs just once in five years as the Browns' head coach, he is 3-1 in Super Bowls in nine years as the Patriots' coach.
Then there's Fox, the defensive coordinator for the Giants team that went to the Super Bowl in 2000 after shutting out the Vikings in the NFC title game. He became the Panthers head coach and had Carolina in the Super Bowl in his second season, where it lost to Belichick. If Jim Fassel had not saved his job with the Super Bowl run in 2000, the Giants were prepared to fire him and promote Fox."
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