BY PAUL SCHWARTZ
There are times when Steve Spagnuolo looks and sounds almost sheepish at the praise he receives and the attention that is sure to come his way. It has already started for the Giants defensive coordinator, who might be the hottest assistant coach in the NFL right now in terms of being a head-coaching prospect.
With three firings yesterday around the NFL, Spagnuolo figures to be in demand right away. The Browns, who canned general manager Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel, have reportedly expressed interest in speaking with Spagnuolo. The Jets, who fired Eric Mangini, and the Lions, who rid themselves of Rod Marinelli after an 0-16 season, could also be in the mix.
Teams with head-coaching vacancies are allowed to interview assistants on teams currently in the playoffs this week – if the assistants are on their bye week, as Spagnuolo is – or next week for teams that do not have a bye in the post season. After that, no talks are allowed until after the Super Bowl.
Last year, Spagnuolo held off all interviews until after Super Bowl XLII and then he immediately met with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and would have had that job, but he took himself out of the running. The Giants this week have an agreeable schedule for Spagnuolo, with practices set for tomorrow and Friday. Spagnuolo could talk with interested teams yesterday or today and not miss anything of any great significance.
The Rams and Raiders did their firings during the season, finished up with interim coaches in place and are also in the market for new head coaches.