5 questions the Giants should ask Steve Spagnuolo in his head coach interview
Updated: Jan. 17, 2019, 12:15 a.m. | Published: Jan. 06, 2016, 1:15 p.m.
Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo
Gallery: Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo
By James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Giants president and CEO John Mara did not go into many specifics about head coaching candidates on Tuesday, but he did announce that offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would receive interviews.
McAdoo received his interview on Tuesday. Spagnuolo is expected to have his later this week. When Spagnuolo, Mara and general manager Jerry Reese meet, here are five questions the Giants should ask Spagnuolo:
STEVE SPAGNUOLO
Current position: Giants defensive coordinator
Head coaching experience: 10-38 with St. Louis Rams from 2009-11 (no playoffs)
Ties to Giants: Current defensive coordinator. Also was team's DC in 2007-08, helping the team win Super Bowl XLII.
FIVE QUESTIONS THE GIANTS SHOULD ASK:
* What the heck happened with the defense in 2015? The Giants were abysmal defensively, dead-last in the NFL, and the unit contributed to almost every crushing late-game loss that has put the Giants (6-10) in this position. Mara admitted talent was an issue on defense, and the top priority is to overhaul the unit. But at the same time, the defense forced 27 turnovers, and the unit was good enough to keep the Giants in games (and winning several by double digits) before the collapses came. So what gives? Spagnuolo needs to tell the organization how he saw this season.
* What are your plans for the offense? If Spagnuolo were to get the job, would he retain McAdoo? Would he want to see any changes on offense? Remember, the offense's inability to close out games in key spots put the defense in some bad positions, leading to a handful of the fourth-quarter collapses. It is believed if McAdoo or Spagnuolo get the job, the other guy would likely remain on staff. But, the Giants need to know for sure where Spagnuolo stands on the offense.
James Kratch can be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find and like NJ.com Giants on Facebook.