Giants Look Within For Defense

By Matt Jussim

Just a few days after losing Steve Spagnuolo to the St. Louis Rams, the Giants found his replacement. The team decided to promote linebackers coach Bill Sheridan to defensive coordinator.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin had said in recent weeks that he had plans if Spagnuolo left, and he needed only two days to promote Sheridan.

“Continuity is important to me, but the strength of staff is important, too. We’ve lost Steve, our coordinator, but it takes many, many people to be successful and to function properly. There was great harmony on that side of the ball. I want to keep that, I want to keep the continuity,” Coughlin said. “I want the players to know that the fact they have performed to a high level the last two years is, in a way, being rewarded. One of the coaches from the staff has been elevated to the coordinator’s role and the terminology will stay the same.”

Over the past few weeks as it seemed more and more certain that Spagunolo would get a job elsewhere, several players said they hoped Coughlin would promote from within, especially defensive end Justin Tuck.

“Whenever a situation like that arises it’s always beneficial to have someone that you’re comfortable with,” said Tuck. “We’ve been with this staff for four years, so we’d be comfortable with anybody that comes up from those guys.”

The 49-year old has been with the Giants since 2005 as linebackers coach, and he should continue running Spagnuolo’s blitz happy defensive scheme.

His biggest assignment was in 2007 when he helped Mathias Kiwanuka make the move from defensive end to linebacker. Kiwanuka had to move back to defensive end this past season after Osi Umenyiora suffered a knee injury in a preseason game.

Sheridan was also apparently the top choice to be Spagnuolo’s defensive coordinator with the St. Louis Rams, but the Giants were not going to give him permission to talk to Sheridan until they figured their own situation out. Sheridan was interviewed yesterday, as was secondary coach Peter Giunta - who was a defensive coordinator with the Rams in 2000.

The team was also considering Dom Capers, who worked with Coughlin in Jacksonville. However, Capers decided to take the same job with the Green Bay Packers instead.

Before joining the Giants, Sheridan spent two decades as a college assistant.