Report: Rams Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo Getting the Axe After Lackluster Season

In today’s what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world, a savior can turn into a scapegoat in the blink of an eye.

Just one year removed from turning the cellar-dweller St. Louis Rams into one of the most promising up and coming teams in the entire NFL, Steve Spagnuolo’s New Year’s resolutions won’t include improving Sam Bradford’s protection.  St. Louis has officially parted ways with their head coach according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

General manager Bill Devaney won’t be given any mercy either.  The two will be looking for new jobs after the Rams finished the 2011 regular season at 2-14 after being predicted by most analysts to run away with the NFC West.  Expectations for such a jump were justified, though, as Spagnuolo’s squad went 7-9 last season compared to 1-15 the year before.

The former New York Giants defensive coordinator was only given three years to turn the ship around and while he made progress, the re-sinking in his third season did him in.  Sometimes no matter how much progress a head coach makes with a team, there’s a certain point where that coach can’t carry the franchise any further and another coach must take over.  That is the reason why an excellent coach like Jeff Fisher was fired this past offseason and why Philadelphia Eagles fans are calling for Andy Reid’s head every year; they’ve done, or are believed to have done, all that they can do.

Spagnuolo won’t be long without a job at all.  He would be a major addition to an estimated two-thirds of the NFL as a defensive coordinator.  It was his dominating Giants’ defense that managed to disrupt the greatest offense in NFL history, Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the 2007 New England Patriots. 

I wouldn’t be a surprised if his phone is already ringing off the hook.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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