Don’t blow this one, Woody.
When Steve Spagnuolo sits down with the Jets today, team owner Woody Johnson has to give the Giants defensive coordinator the hard sell he gave Brett Favre last summer or the hard sell he’s given his fans to buy PSLs.
Johnson has to make Spagnuolo, who is desired as a head coach from Detroit to Denver, believe Gang Green is the best fit and the place to hang his shingle.
The Jets have screwed this up before. From Lou Holtz to Richie Kotite, they have made their share of mistakes. Now, Spagnuolo can arrive as the man to make Jets fans forget Eric Mangini, forget the five-game collapse, forget the tortured past and find hope again.
The 49-year-old appears to be the perfect fit. The Giants made him the highest paid defensive coordinator in the NFL after last season to keep him away from the Redskins’ head coaching job. Spagnuolo’s $2 million salary is more than the $1.75 million Mangini made as Jets head coach.
Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum will find the money if Spagnuolo wants the job. After getting blown off by former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, Spagnuolo is their top target, with Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan behind him.
A source familiar with the Jets’ search said the team is leaning toward hiring someone from the ranks of NFL assistant coaches rather than a proven head coach. The Jets would like to duplicate the success Miami (Tony Sparano), Atlanta (Mike Smith) and Baltimore (John Harbaugh) found this season with first-time head coaches.
After brief discussions, the Jets are no longer considering veteran coaches Mike Shanahan, fired this week after 14 years with the Broncos, and Marty Schottenheimer, father of Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
With two outstanding years running the Giants’ defense on his resume, everyone around the NFL has Spagnuolo tabbed as the next great head coach. That is why he has interviewed with the Browns and Lions already, and will meet with the Broncos tonight after he finishes with the Jets. No team can offer Spagnuolo a job until the Giants’ season is over.
“Spags will be a great head coach,” Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. “He commands the crowd. He is a short guy, but he has a big personality. He is a guy who I can definitely see filling that role.”
The Jets are at a crucial point with this hire. This is not your typical NFL coaching opening in which a team had a disastrous season and is rebuilding. The Jets are moving into a new stadium in 2010 with PSLs to sell, they have a veteran team that just missed the playoffs and their next head coach could be the missing piece of the puzzle.
The Jets interviewed in-house candidates Brian Schottenheimer and Bill Callahan (Mangini’s assistant head coach and offensive line coach) yesterday. A source said Schottenheimer has a real chance at the job. The 35-year-old presided over an offense that scored 405 points this year, but he would be a tough sell to Jets fans, who have been critical of the job he has done.
Spagnuolo is the one. Get it done, Woody.
Additional reporting
by Mark Hale