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The Tennessee Titans conducted an interview with Steve Spagnuolo for their head coaching vacancy. Here's everything you need to know about the Titans' coaching candidate.
Spagnuolo, 66, has been the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive coordinator since 2019 and is a four-time Super Bowl champion as a coordinator. He previously served as head coach of the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11 and spent four games as interim head coach with the New York Giants in 2017. Across those four seasons, Spagnuolo posted an 11-41 record. Among coaches who’ve coached at least 50 games in the Super Bowl era, Spagnuolo’s winning percentage is the second worst, ahead of only Hue Jackson.
Spagnuolo has worked with Chiefs coach Andy Reid during Reid’s tenures in Philadelphia and Kansas City. He also worked with Tom Coughlin in New York as the Giants’ defensive coordinator in 2007-08, helping the Giants to a Super Bowl win, before heading to St. Louis for his first head coaching job.
Spagnuolo’s tenure in St. Louis was one of the more disastrous runs for any franchise in recent memory. The Rams went 1-15 in Spagnuolo’s first season, earning the No. 1 pick in the ensuing No. 1 draft that was used on quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford helped turn things around for the Rams as a rookie, posting a 7-9 record. But the Rams’ fates cratered the next year. Bradford and the offense only scored 193 points all season, the fifth-worst mark of the 21st century and, to this day, the last time an NFL team scored fewer than 200 points across a full season. Spagnuolo’s defense didn’t fare all that much better, allowing the seventh-most points in the NFL and putting up a putrid performance against the run to push the squad to a 2-14 finish and Spagnuolo to his firing.
Spagnuolo bounced around roles with New Orleans, Baltimore and the Giants over the next half-decade before returning to Reid’s orbit at the start of the Chiefs’ dynasty. Under Spagnuolo’s tutelage, Chiefs defenders like Chris Jones, Tyrann Mathieu and Trent McDuffie have earned first-team All-Pro nods, while contributors such as Nick Bolton, Frank Clark and Justin Reid playing at or around the peaks of their positions at various times.
Though Reid’s offense gets a lot of credit for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl wins, Spagnuolo’s defense has been the propulsive force of their last couple of runs. This was especially true in 2023 when the Chiefs owned the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense and total defense versus ranking No. 9 in total offense and No. 15 in scoring offense.
Spagnuolo worked in Kansas City with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi from 2019-2024, lending some familiarity to the interview process.
The Titans fired former coach Brian Callahan in October after a 1-5 start to the 2025 season that followed a 3-14 debut year in 2024. Under interim coach Mike McCoy, the Titans finished the 2025 season with another 3-14 record and earned the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Titans have announced completed head coach interviews with the following candidates:
The Titans have also scheduled interviews with or requested interviews from the following candidates: Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, former Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris, former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans coaching search: Pros, cons of Steve Spagnuolo as candidate
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Spagnuolo, 66, has been the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive coordinator since 2019 and is a four-time Super Bowl champion as a coordinator. He previously served as head coach of the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11 and spent four games as interim head coach with the New York Giants in 2017. Across those four seasons, Spagnuolo posted an 11-41 record. Among coaches who’ve coached at least 50 games in the Super Bowl era, Spagnuolo’s winning percentage is the second worst, ahead of only Hue Jackson.
Spagnuolo has worked with Chiefs coach Andy Reid during Reid’s tenures in Philadelphia and Kansas City. He also worked with Tom Coughlin in New York as the Giants’ defensive coordinator in 2007-08, helping the Giants to a Super Bowl win, before heading to St. Louis for his first head coaching job.
Steve Spagnuolo coaching resume
Spagnuolo’s tenure in St. Louis was one of the more disastrous runs for any franchise in recent memory. The Rams went 1-15 in Spagnuolo’s first season, earning the No. 1 pick in the ensuing No. 1 draft that was used on quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford helped turn things around for the Rams as a rookie, posting a 7-9 record. But the Rams’ fates cratered the next year. Bradford and the offense only scored 193 points all season, the fifth-worst mark of the 21st century and, to this day, the last time an NFL team scored fewer than 200 points across a full season. Spagnuolo’s defense didn’t fare all that much better, allowing the seventh-most points in the NFL and putting up a putrid performance against the run to push the squad to a 2-14 finish and Spagnuolo to his firing.
Spagnuolo bounced around roles with New Orleans, Baltimore and the Giants over the next half-decade before returning to Reid’s orbit at the start of the Chiefs’ dynasty. Under Spagnuolo’s tutelage, Chiefs defenders like Chris Jones, Tyrann Mathieu and Trent McDuffie have earned first-team All-Pro nods, while contributors such as Nick Bolton, Frank Clark and Justin Reid playing at or around the peaks of their positions at various times.
Steve Spagnuolo to Titans? The obvious connection
Though Reid’s offense gets a lot of credit for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl wins, Spagnuolo’s defense has been the propulsive force of their last couple of runs. This was especially true in 2023 when the Chiefs owned the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense and total defense versus ranking No. 9 in total offense and No. 15 in scoring offense.
Spagnuolo worked in Kansas City with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi from 2019-2024, lending some familiarity to the interview process.
The Titans fired former coach Brian Callahan in October after a 1-5 start to the 2025 season that followed a 3-14 debut year in 2024. Under interim coach Mike McCoy, the Titans finished the 2025 season with another 3-14 record and earned the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Titans coaching search candidates, info
The Titans have announced completed head coach interviews with the following candidates:
- Matt Nagy, Chiefs OC
- Lou Anarumo, Colts DC
- Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC
- Vance Joseph, Broncos DC
- Kevin Stefanski, former Browns HC
- Jason Garrett, former Cowboys HC
- Mike McCoy, Titans interim HC
The Titans have also scheduled interviews with or requested interviews from the following candidates: Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, former Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris, former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans coaching search: Pros, cons of Steve Spagnuolo as candidate
Continue reading...
