A good coach develops over time.  He has traveled the ups and downs and weathered the storms.  Perhaps these developing coaches have looked bad at times and some have had the rare opportunity to be celebrated while basking in the light of success.

Over the years two specific up and coming Giant coach's cut their teeth in the NFL as a NY Giants Coordinator.  These two gentlemen went on to become legends in the game.  

These two coaches are: Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. 

John Fox the Carolina Panthers head coach was also the New York Giants DC from 1997 to 2001 and continues to grow a nice body of work.

Today we are mid way through the 2009 season and most writers and the fantasy junkies want to discuss the mid season grades for the players.  Call me crazy...but as we face the bye week and calm before the storm, I reflect back on the years past and how a certain individual might owe the NY Giant franchise a very big "thank you".  

Highlight...Steve Spagnuolo...the new head coach of the Rams.  

Spags learned from one of the best...the late, great Jim Johnson, the former defensive coordinator for Philadelphia Eagles.  In Philadelphia, Steve learned how to master the 4-3 defense and developed his skills to dial up blitz packages that could not be stopped by a mere mortal offensive line.

Steve Spognuolo earned his stripes moving up the coaching ladder from the Eagles Defensive Assistant to Defensive Back coach to Linebacker coach in 2004.  That's eight season honing his craft under one of the Best Defensive Coordinators in the NFL. 

In 2007...the New York Giants opened the door and gave Steve Spagnuolo his first big start by hiring him as the new Defensive Coordinator for the NY Giants. 

Would he finally bring something special back to the Big Blue?  

The NY Giants have lived on defensive for so long...one could only hope this tradition would thrive once again!  Spagnuolo was inheriting a defensive history that was more than good...they were legendary. 

Players like: Huff, Tunnell, Robustelli, Martin, Carson, Taylor, Van Belt, Burt, Pepper Johnson, Armstead and Strahan!  That's a list of players that could easily swallow up a new Defensive Coordinator, however, Steve Spagnuolo was up to the task.

He took over for the defeated and unaccomplished Tim Lewis and immediately put the swagger back in the Big Blue Wrecking Crew!  This first time Defensive Coordinator took over the 4-3 defense with a fever and tenacity that reminded fans of the old days. 

In 2007, Spag's first year at DC his defense lead the NFL in sacks and won Super Bowl 42 in style against the New England Patriots.  His ferocious defense sacked Tom Brady five times which was most Tom Brady had been sacked all year in one game. 

After this memorable ride to the Superbowl...the New York Giants made Spagnuolo one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators in the NFL with a new three-year contract, worth roughly $2 million a year.

In 2008 the defensive unit followed up with a strong performance ranking 12th for yards allowed, 5th in the NFL in sacks and 10th against the pass.  In '09 with two years of great defensive and tradition restored...Spagnuolo was given a four year 11.5 million year deal from the St. Louis Rams to put the heartbeat back in the their franchise. 

Yes, the Rams are a team in need of talent and possibly a life preserver, but this past week Spagnuolo once again showed a glimpse of greatness by holding the league's leading MVP candidate, Drew Brees to only 223 yards and two touchdown.  Let's be honest...this is not a celebration because the Rams still lost; however, I recognize a suburb defensive effort and a coach hard at work.

I hope the Rams don't eventually crush Steve Spagnuolo and I hope he turns the team around but more than anything I hope somewhere in the bowels of Giants Stadium there is letter or a voice mail for the Giants management, expressing his gratitude. 

And maybe, just maybe in time, we can convince the Spag's to come back to the Giants to replace Sheridan or follow Tom Coughlin when he decides to retire.

New York sure looks better than St. Louis right about now...especially during the bye week!