An argument could easily be made that Steve Spagnuolo was the unsung hero of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2023 season, and the defensive coordinator’s former boss wants to make sure everyone took note of that.
Spagnuolo has been the defensive coordinator under Andy Reid since 2019. While most of the credit for Kansas City’s success typically goes to people on the offensive side like Reid, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Spagnuolo put together one of the best coaching jobs of his career this season. The success continued in the Super Bowl, where the Chiefs held Christian McCaffrey in check and prevented the types explosive plays that the San Francisco 49ers killed opponents with all year.
Tyreek Hill is among the many who admired Spagnuolo’s work. The Miami Dolphins star sent a message on X Monday morning wondering why Spagnuolo has not received more interest as a head coach candidate.
“Why don’t Spags got no interviews,” Hill wrote.
Why don’t Spags got no interviews
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) February 12, 2024
Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff felt that was a fair question from Hill. Demoff took to X on Tuesday to praise Spagnuolo and said it is “well past time” that the 64-year-old got another opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL.
“It is well past time to see Spags get another head coaching opportunity,” Demoff wrote in response to Hill’s post. “The team & organization he inherited in STL was a mess, nobody could have had success. Yet he changed the culture/staff & players believed. An amazing human deserving of the real shot we couldn’t give him.”
It is well past time to see Spags get another head coaching opportunity.
The team & organization he inherited in STL was a mess, nobody could have had success. Yet he changed the culture/staff & players believed. An amazing human deserving of the real shot we couldn’t give him https://t.co/d82dXjC3W4
— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) February 13, 2024
Spagnuolo was the head coach of the then-St. Louis Rams from 2009-2011. He went 10-38 in three seasons, but he inherited a terrible roster that had won just five total games in the two previous seasons combined. Even Demoff thinks the Rams did not give Spagnuolo a fair chance to succeed.
The Chiefs held opponents to just 17.3 points and 289.8 yards per game this season. They allowed just 7 points in their Wild Card Round win over the Dolphins, 24 in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills, and 10 in their AFC Championship Game win over the Baltimore Ravens. Spagnuolo’s unit then made life extremely difficult for the 49ers with perfectly timed blitzes and disguised coverages.
Kansas City looked beatable on offense for much of the season, but their defense kept them in games. Spagnuolo deserves much of the credit for that, and Demoff is not the only one who feels Spags has earned another shot at coaching a team.
