Rams have their five finalists

[RamWraith]

By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Tuesday, Jan. 13 2009
With the addition of Jason Garrett and Steve Spagnuolo, the field is set. Let
the "finals" commence in the Rams' head-coaching search.

General manager Billy Devaney and Rams ownership will sort through the names of
five finalists. Barring an unexpected development, the team's next head coach
will be one of these five:

— Minnesota Vikings assistant head coach-defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

— Garrett, the assistant head coach-offensive coordinator for the Dallas
Cowboys.

— Current Rams coach Jim Haslett.

— Baltimore assistant head coach-defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

— Spagnuolo, the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

Frazier, 49, will have his "finalist" interview today; Garrett, 42, will do so
Wednesday; and Spagnuolo, 49, will interview Thursday. All of those interviews
will take place in Los Angeles, with Devaney, team owners Chip Rosenbloom and
Lucia Rodriguez, and senior adviser John Shaw all expected to participate.

Haslett, 53, had his finalist interview last week in Los Angeles. The Rams
interviewed Ryan, 46, on Sunday in Baltimore — and not LA — but only because
the Ravens are still alive in the playoffs.

The question now becomes, can the Rams afford to wait on Ryan until the end of
the AFC championship game this Sunday? If the Ravens lose to Pittsburgh, Ryan
can be hired immediately. If the Ravens beat Pittsburgh, Ryan cannot be hired
until after the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. The Rams almost certainly won't wait that
long.

The Rams also may be forced to act quickly if the New York Jets, Detroit or
Oakland completes their head-coaching searches over the next few days.
Indications are that Ryan is among the frontrunners — if not the frontrunner —
with the Jets. Nonetheless, sources close to Ryan say he remains very
interested in the Rams' job.

The Rams' search process reached clarity Monday when Spagnuolo and Garrett
became confirmed candidates. After the Giants' 23-11 loss to Philadelphia in
the NFC divisional playoffs, the Rams requested and received permission to
interview Spagnuolo.

Devaney and Spagnuolo go way back. Spagnuolo worked as a player personnel
intern with Washington in 1983 at a time when Devaney was a Redskins scout. And
in 1993, Spagnuolo worked as a scout for San Diego at a time when Devaney was
the Chargers' director of player personnel.

Those are the only years Spagnuolo hasn't been in coaching since his days as a
wide receiver at Springfield (Mass.) College in the early 1980s. His first NFL
coaching job came in 1999 with the Eagles, with whom he learned the aggressive
blitzing schemes of highly regarded defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. After
eight seasons with the Eagles, Spagnuolo was hired as Giants defensive
coordinator in 2007.

Spagnuolo gained instant notoriety in New York last season when the Giants'
defense stymied Tom Brady and the unbeaten New England Patriots to register a
stunning 17-14 upset in Super Bowl 42. Spagnuolo already has interviewed with
Detroit and the New York Jets this offseason. But Denver no longer is an option
since the Broncos have hired Josh McDaniels as their new head coach.

Garrett turned out to be the so-called mystery candidate in the Rams' search.
His candidacy had largely escaped notice until league sources confirmed Monday
that he was indeed a Rams finalist.

A year ago at this time, Garrett was one of the hottest names in the annual
coaching carousel, interviewing in Atlanta and turning down an offer to be head
coach in Baltimore. But he returned to Dallas, where it appeared he had
attained "head coach in waiting" status behind Wade Phillips.

But after a highly disappointing 2008 season in which the Cowboys didn't even
reach the playoffs, Garrett has fallen out of favor in Dallas. He has had
interviews in Denver and Detroit but doesn't seem to be nearly in as much
demand as he was a year ago.

Devaney interviewed Garrett last year as part of the Atlanta job search, but
his relationship with Garrett goes much deeper. "He's a Jersey guy," Devaney
has said.

Garrett attended Princeton University in New Jersey.

RAM-BLINGS: San Francisco assistant director of pro personnel Mike Williams
completed his interview for the Rams' director of pro personnel job, and
there's a chance he could be hired by the end of the week.

[keith m. klink]

How about MARSHALL instead .

[TheTalkOfTheArch]

I wish they'd stop doing the interviews in Los Angeles. It makes me nervous.
But I'm hoping for Spagnuolo

[Falconator]

well guys - y'all have an 80% chance of hiring someone decent because four out of those five canddates are good...........the only bad candidate already lives in St. Louis

[punahou]

Id like to see a defensive person get this job. I cant understand why Haslett and Garrett are close to being finalists....

[blood85]

Is John Robinson available??

[thoey]

well guys - y'all have an 80% chance of hiring someone decent because four out of those five canddates are good...........the only bad candidate already lives in St. Louis

Living in TX, I think we are down to 60% possible success. That guy that lives up the road from me couldn't coach the best team on paper. What makes you think he can rebuild a champion?

[rammiser]

Please for the love of all that is good anybody but Jason Garrett, I'd take Loserhan back before I want him to coach my team. He can't run a Cowboys offense with all that talent yet he's a finalist for a head coaching position? Let's not make a huge mistake here.