Why Chiefs’ Spagnuolo is a Top HC Candidate

“A couple of teams have gotten to jump along the process,” insider Mike Garafolo said Sunday on NFL Gameday Morning , referring to the Giants and Tennessee Titans, who host the Chiefs on Sunday (12 p.m. CT, CBS/KCTV, Channel 5, 96.5 The Fan).

“Started to do some research and looking at the Giants here, Marcus Freeman is mentioned as a guy that should be in their coaching search. Yes, that is the case. I expect him to be the foremost amongst the college candidates as it pertains to NFL coaches.”

College coaches in NFL

But college coaches have rarely found success at the NFL level, so if the Giants opt for another direction, Spagnuolo is expected to be an excellent interview candidate.

The St. Louis Rams head coach from 2009-11 and Giants interim head coach in 2017, Spagnuolo is annually on the league’s list of head-coach candidates. But don’t expect Spagnuolo to leave for anything less than an ideal situation.

The Giants, where he earned his first Super Bowl ring in 2007 by upsetting Tom Brady and the undefeated Patriots, could be that ideal situation.

Plus, as Garafolo explained, because this year’s hiring cycle is a bit different with regard to offensive candidates, defensive stalwarts like Spagnuolo might be looking at a better overall shot.

Dearth of offensive candidates

“This is going to be a widespread search,” Garafolo explained, referring to the Giants. “There's no Ben Johnson offensive-playcaller-bell-of-the-ball-type candidate in this cycle, and a lot of the head coaches are calling plays offensively as well.

“So, that really dwindles down the offensive guys. I expect to see some defensive guys, some veteran coaches as well, in the mix for the Giants. So that one will get underway in earnest after the season.”

When it gets underway, Vance Joseph (Denver), Robert Saleh (San Francisco) and Brian Flores (Minnesota) are all defensive coordinators who’ve held head jobs expected to get looks, like Spagnuolo.

Another name to watch is Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. One of Johnson’s first hires a year ago, the former Raiders head coach has helped Chicago (11-4) ascend all the way to the No. 2 seed in the NFC, if the playoffs started this week.

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