EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Giants’ first two head coaching candidates didn’t have to travel far for their interviews.
Spagnuolo and McAdoo are among several coaches Mara and Reese will speak with as they seek to identify the man who will follow Tom Coughlin, who stepped down on Monday after 12 seasons as the Giants’ coach.
The 2015 season marked Spagnuolo’s return as defensive coordinator. He also held the position in 2007-08 when the Giants ranked seventh and fifth, respectively, in total defense. Spagnuolo also devised the game plan and made the in-game adjustments to help the Giants defeat the previously-undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
"I think he did the best he could with what he had. I want to hear from him what he felt about how we performed there, what improvements he would make going forward. He'll have that opportunity to explain that.”
Spagnuolo, 56, was the head coach of the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11. He was 10-38, but inherited a 2-14 team and had them within one game of the playoffs in his second season.
McAdoo joined the Giants in 2014, soon after a season in which the Giants finished 28th in the NFL in total offense. In his two seasons, the offense has ranked 10th and eighth. Quarterback Eli Manning has had what are arguably his two most productive seasons under McAdoo. In 2015, Manning established career highs for attempts (618), completions (387) and touchdown passes (33). He threw for 4,436 yards, the second-highest total of his career.
“I think our offense certainly improved (under McAdoo),” Mara said.
Prior to joining the Giants, McAdoo, 38, spent eight years as an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers, the first six as the team’s tight ends coach and the final two as the quarterbacks coach.