Meet Lou Spanos

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

Lets not get carried away here. Spanos has never been primarily responsible for coaching linebackers before. In Pittsburgh, he was a "quality control" coach. He coached 15 years in Pittsburg and was never promoted to linebackers coach. One would think if he was really so instrumental in the success of the Steelers linebackers, he would have been promoted to LB coach in 2003. Instead, the Steelers went after Keith Butler, who had a less-than-impressive resume with Cleaveland.

I'm not saying Spanos wasn't a good pickup, as we needed someone who could teach our LBs the 3-4, but i think its stretching things to call him a great coach or to give him credit for the steelers defenses. Calling him a great coach is like calling Cerrato a great executive because he "contributed" to a 49ers superbowl team. Spanos could end up being a great linebackers coach, but at this point, he could also be a jim zorn-esque hire: Great at doing one comparitively small job, but horrible when given broader responsibilities.

I think it's a great hire, and your examples are in no way comparable.

Zorn went from qb coach to head coach. Spanos was an assistant linebackers coach under an outstanding coach in LeBeau working on one of the premier linebacking units in the league. He moves up the ladder in the normal progession to Linebacker coach here.

VC was a small part of the SF FO that one the SB, going from a FO job not a direct assitant to the GM. Spanos assisted the linebackers and the defensive coaching staff with game preparation, video analysis and scouting of Steelers’ opponents.

BHA, you have good posts, but I honestly believe, if Cowher were here, and he brought Spanos in, your response would be completely different.