The Redskins head coach search will last at least one more day. New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo interviewed with the Redskins for nearly seven hours starting Tuesday night and spent most of Wednesday at owner Dan Snyder’s house. Wednesday’s interview started at 8 a.m. and lasted all day and into the evening.
But, according to one team source, any announcement about the position today would be “very aggressive.” In other interviews, the Redskins have followed a similar path: with talks starting one night and continuing much of the next day.
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Spagnuolo, though, is the last to interview. One league source said because he interviews well, he would be in good position to win the job — especially based off the performance of the Giants’ defense in a 17-14 Super Bowl win over New England.
However, Spagnuolo also will be aggressively pursued to stay in New York as a coordinator, with a likely raise forthcoming. The Giants have let it be known that they want him to stay — and especially don’t want to lose him to a division rival.
One NFC East executive, a Spagnuolo fan, said recently that he hopes the Redskins hire Jim Fassel, meaning it would be good for their team. Fassel has been viewed as a frontrunner by some, but others see him as a fallback guy should Spagnuolo decline the position.
“If they wanted him, they could have had him two weeks ago,” one league source said. “He’s not going anywhere.”
Spagnuolo could opt to stay if he deems this a tough situation, whether because both coordinators are already in place or because of the direction of the franchise. Washington is the only team over the salary cap, by approximately $20 million.
Also, quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor appears headed forSeattle to take a similar position. The Redskins no longer had a role for him with Jim Zorn as the offensive coordinator. Zorn also works with quarterbacks.
