The New York Jets conducted interviews on Friday with two candidates for their head coach position: Steve Spagnuolo, the defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Mike Locksley, the head coach of the University of Maryland.
Additionally, the Jets spoke with Mike Greenberg, the assistant general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, regarding their search for a general manager.
This brings the total number of coaching candidates to seven, now including Spagnuolo and Locksley, alongside previously mentioned names such as Mike Vrabel, Ron Rivera, Rex Ryan, Matt Nagy, and Aaron Glenn.
Steve Spagnuolo has a solid background in the NFL, having spent the last six seasons managing the Chiefs’ defense while under the leadership of Andy Reid. His interview was conducted via video call, similar to earlier discussions with Nagy and Glenn earlier in the week.
Coaches from teams that have a bye during the playoffs can hold virtual interviews with potential employers from Wednesday until the end of wild-card weekend, with a maximum duration of three hours.
At 65 years old, Spagnuolo is a seasoned NFL coach who previously served as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams from 2009 to 2011, where he recorded a disappointing 10-38 record over three seasons. Additionally, he stepped in as interim head coach for the New York Giants in 2017 after Ben McAdoo was dismissed, ending that stint with a 1-3 record.
Spagnuolo’s coaching accolades include being part of four Super Bowl-winning teams, notably the 2007 Giants that triumphed over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, as well as three championships with the Chiefs. His extensive career also includes roles with the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, and a return to the Giants in 2015 before joining Reid’s staff in Kansas City in 2019.
Locksley, on the other hand, holds a 32-36 record during his six years at Maryland. The team experienced a challenging 4-8 season this past year but has achieved postseason success with bowl victories in each of the prior three seasons: the Pinstripe Bowl, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and the Music City Bowl. His leadership saw the Terrapins achieving back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time in two decades in 2022 and 2023.
At 55, Locksley previously served as Maryland’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2012 to 2015, during which he also took on the role of interim head coach for the last six games of that term. His coaching journey additionally includes stops at Alabama, New Mexico, Illinois, Florida, Army, Pacific, and Towson.
In terms of the general manager search, Mike Greenberg has been the assistant GM with the Buccaneers since the start of the 2023 season. His career with Tampa Bay began in 2010 as a player personnel assistant, gradually advancing through the ranks to various positions, including two seasons as vice president of football administration before reaching his current role.
Greenberg is now the eighth identified candidate interviewing for the Jets’ general manager job, joining the ranks of Rams senior personnel executive Ray Farmer, Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, former Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff, former Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson, and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick.
