Top defensive coordinator candidates for the Chiefs to consider if Steve Spagnuolo leaves

The Kansas City Chiefs hired Steve Spagnuolo to be their defensive coordinator in 2019, replacing Bob Sutton, who had held the position for the first six years of Andy Reid’s tenure at KC. Spagnuolo came in to fix a wounded Chiefs defense, and while it took some time to convert the unit to what it is now, he has done a wonderful job in the role.

It makes sense that Spags would get some head coaching interviews. While Chiefs fans hope he doesn’t get loaned away, the thing is, it could happen. Fortunately, KC has a few things going in its favor (or rather Spag’s) in the head coaching sweepstakes.

First of all, there are now only five places left after Patriots hired Mike Vrabel to be their head coach. Ben Johnson is also another popular candidate (assuming he leaves Detroit this time) and that will occupy another spot. From there, it will be a mad dash from the other needy teams to try and find who they want to lead their teams.

Another factor working against Spags is the fact that he has been a head coach before and it didn’t go well. Spagnuolo was the head coach of St. Louis Rams from 2009 to 2011 and compiled a paltry 10-38 record in the role. He was also the Giants’ interim head coach during the 2017 season and went 1-3.

The final factor working against Spags is his age. He turned 65 in December, and while it’s okay to have a head coach who’s 65, it might not be the best idea to bring in one at that age unless they’ve proven to be really good in the role in the past.

Anyway, with all that out of the way, let’s now shift gears to look at potential replacements for the Chiefs to consider if Spagnuolo is indeed hired by another team to be their head coach.

Dennis Allen

Sometimes guys are great coordinators, but they’re lousy head coaches, and that’s definitely the case with Dennis Allen. The last year was not kind to Allen, who was fired by the New Orleans Saints after the team’s 2-7 start (mostly after they lost seven straight games after a 2-0 start).

Allen had previously served as the Raiders head coach from 2012 to 2014 and did not fare well there, finishing his Raiders head coaching tenure with an 8-28 record. Sean Payton then brought Allen to New Orleans, where the Saints’ defense went from terrible to great under his tutelage.

In 2020 and 2021, the Saints defense ranked in the top five in points scored (meaning they stopped teams from scoring on them more often than not), and the turnaround he had with this unit was very impressive. Once Payton saved the Saints after the 2021 season, however, Allen was promoted to head coach, proving that not all coordinators are cut out for that promotion.

That being said, Allen is only 52 years old and has shown he has what it takes to lead a top defense. If the Chiefs were to lose Spags, getting Allen would be one hell of a consolation prize.

Lou Anarumo

The Bengals’ loss could be the Chiefs’ gain, even if Spags departs in the offseason. One of the only teams to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs during the Patrick Mahomes era was the Bengals, who were able to do so in large part because of how well their defense contained Mahomes. That credit goes to Lou Anarumo, who served as the Bengals’ defensive coordinator from 2019 to this past season.

Anarumo was fired by the Bengals at the conclusion of the regular season after two disappointing seasons for the Cincinnati defense, which was once a strength of the team. Sure, the Bengals have Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase on offense, but the two long playoff runs they had in 2021 and 2022 were helped by the defense, and Anarumo played a big part in those plans.

The 2022 season in particular was a huge one for Anarumo’s defense as his unit ranked sixth in points allowed that year. The Bengals defense going downhill wasn’t necessarily just on Anarumo, as the front office let key players like Jessie Bates and DJ Reader go in free agency and it ended up being a massive mistake.

It would be pretty funny if the Chiefs brought in Anarumo after Cincinnati fired him and then used the Bengals’ secret weapon against them in the future. Imagine him making plans to make Burrow’s life hell. It’s a funny picture. (It can’t hurt that Travis Kelce has mad respect for him, too.)

Robert Saleh

This one can be filed under the improbable category, but hey, why not float the idea out there? Robert Saleh would be one of the best names to bring into Kansas City, and the appeal of coaching a team with a strong chance to win a Super Bowl should be exciting for Saleh.

Saleh rose to fame as the 49ers defensive coordinator during his time with the team from 2017 to 2020. Chiefs fans are familiar with Saleh’s work considering the 49ers were the team the Chiefs faced in Super Bowl LIV. That defense made Mahomes’ life hell in that game, and it’s still a miracle how the team came from behind to win the team’s first championship in 50 years.

Saleh was hired to be the Jets’ head coach in 2021, and while, yes, some of the failure certainly landed on his shoulders, it wasn’t entirely his fault. The team could never quite figure out the quarterback situation, and when the defense, which was Saleh’s strength, began to falter, that was it for him, and he was fired after a 2-3 start in 2024.

Saleh is holding talks with both the head coach and defensive coordinator for the 2025 season, and if the Chiefs lost Spags, it would be a must for the front office to reach out to Saleh to see if he would be interested in coming to Kansas City.

Hopefully the Chiefs don’t lose Spagnuolo, but if they did, there are plenty of other capable candidates they could bring in to replace him.