New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was recently reinstated by the National Football League, and he hasn’t waited long to make
his presence known. Yesterday Payton and the Saints announced that they were
parting ways with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and switching to a 3-4
defense.
"I personally want to thank Steve and Ken for their contributions during what was an unprecedented 2012 season," Payton said in a statement released by the Saints. "Philosophically we are changing our defense to a 3-4 alignment, and right now is the best time to accomplish this transition."
The Saints hired Spagnuolo last offseason, and the formerly
highly-touted defensive coordinator only lasted one year before getting the
axe. The New Orleans’ defense appeared to get worse under Spagnuolo, and he was
called out at the end of the year by an anonymous player in the Saints’ locker
room.
Spagnuolo made a name for himself as the New York Giants defensive
coordinator. He ran that unit when the Giants won their first Super Bowl
against the New England Patriots, and he ultimately turned it into a head
coaching opportunity with the St. Louis Rams.
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