Sean Spencer, a 21-year college coaching veteran, is in his second season as the Giants' defensive line coach.
In Spencer's first year with the team in 2020, Leonard Williams finished with a career-high 11.5 sacks, the most by a Giants' player since Jason Pierre-Paul's 14.5 in 2014. His 11.5 sacks were 7.5 more than any of his teammates, 4.5 more than his previous best total (in 2016) and 11.0 more than he had in 2019. Williams was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in the season's final five weeks – after victories in Seattle on Dec. 6 and against Dallas on Jan. 3 (when Williams had a career-best 3.0 sacks).
The Giants' 40 sacks were their highest total since they registered 47 in 2014.
The line helped the Giants' defense rank 12th in the NFL, allowing 349.3 yards-per-game. It was their best defensive finish since 2016, when they were 10th in the league by allowing 339.7 yards a game. The Giants' rushing defense ranked 10th, allowing 111.4 yards a game, also their best figures since 2016 (when they were tied for third at 88.6 rushing yards a game). The passing defense tied for 16th by giving up 237.9 yards game, the team's lowest figure since 2013, when the Giants allowed 223.3 yards a game through the air and were 10th in the league.
Prior to joining the Giants, Spencer spent six seasons at Penn State, where he was also associate head coach and run game coordinator his final two years.
Under Spencer, the Nittany Lions' line was traditionally one of the nation's best. In 2019, Penn State had 45 sacks, the seventh-highest total in the country and third highest in the Big Ten. It was Penn State's fifth consecutive season with at last 40 sacks, the first such streak for the Nittany Lions since team sacks were recorded in 1988. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos was fifth in the conference with a team-high 9.5 sacks and was named All-Big Ten first team for the second straight year.
That season, Spencer's linemen were also significant contributors to Penn State's run defense, which finished first in the nation by allowing only 2.6 yards-per-carry and fifth in the country and first in the conference by surrendering just 95.0 yards a game.
In 2015 and 2018, Penn State led the nation in sacks, first with 50 and then with 47 (3.6 a game). In the latter season, the Nittany Lions ranked fourth in the country with 8.2 tackles for loss a game.
In 2018, the defense was a frequent fixture in the opposition's backfield, leading the country in sacks (3.62) for the second time in four years and ranking fourth in tackles for loss (8.2). The previous season, the line helped the defense finish in the Top 25 in FBS in scoring defense (7th; 16.5), sacks (7th; 3.23), rushing defense (14th; 118.0), total defense (17th; 329.5), takeaways (23rd; 25) and tackles for loss (25th; 7.2).
The line played a pivotal role in Penn State's Big Ten Championship run in 2016, when the defense finished seventh in FBS in tackles for loss (8.1) and 19th in sacks (2.86).
In 2015, the defensive line not only paced a unit that led the FBS in sacks (3.54 a game) but was sixth in tackles for loss (8.2) and 14th in total defense (324.5). Under Spencer's guidance, former walk-on Carl Nassib won the Rotary Lombardi Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Hendricks Award and Woodson-Nagurski Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year while breaking the Penn State single-season sacks record with 15.5 in 2015. Nassib became Penn State's 13th unanimous Consensus All-American.
Spencer led a unit that in 2014 helped Penn State finish No. 3 in the FBS rushing defense (100.5) and second in total defense (278.7).
During his 2011-13 tenure at Vanderbilt, Spencer's defensive lines helped Vanderbilt finish in the top 25 in the nation in total defense all three years. The Commodores recorded 28, 31 and 28 sacks under Spencer, with the defensive line posting 42.5 tackles for loss in 2013.
Spencer coached the Bowling Green defensive line in 2009-10, when he mentored Chris Jones to All-Mid-American Conference honors and helped the Falcons to the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl.
Spencer had two stints at Massachusetts, coaching the defensive line in 2007-08 and in 2001-03 (should these be switched?). He also has coached at Hofstra (2006), Villanova (2005), Holy Cross (2004), Trinity College (1998-2000), Shippensburg (1996-97) and Wesleyan (1995).
Spencer was a three-year starter at safety at Clarion (Pa.) University where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science. He and his wife, Allyson, have a daughter Alysia (17).
1995 Wesleyan University wide receivers/tight ends
1996-97 Shippensburg University running backs
1998-2000 Trinity College running backs, passing game coordinator, defensive line
2001-03 University of Massachusetts defensive line
2004 College of the Holy Cross defensive line
2005 Villanova University linebackers
2006 Hofstra University defensive line
2007-08 University of Massachusetts defensive line/special teams
2009-10 Bowling Green State University defensive line
2011-13 Vanderbilt University defensive line
2014-17 Penn State University defensive line
2018-19 Penn State University assoc. head coach/run game coor./defensive line
2020-21 New York Giants defensive line
