EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Steve Spagnuolo jogged out of the tunnel leading from Giants Stadium to the team's practice bubble, waved at reporters waiting outside and then went to work on Friday.
It looked like any other day for the defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champions, except these are hectic times for the 49-year-old Spagnuolo.
He had meetings about vacant head coaching jobs with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions on Thursday, and he plans to sit down with both the Jets -- the Giants' co-tenant at the Meadowlands sports complex -- and officials from the Denver Broncos on Saturday.
Spagnuolo has not formally talked to the media about the job search, although he has exchanged pleasantries and jokes with reporters.
Bob LaMonte, his agent, has not returned telephone calls or e-mails.
Even coach Tom Coughlin sidestepped discussion of Spagnuolo's future, although he admitted he won't be caught off guard if his second-year coordinator gets a top job.
"You are always thinking and you always have thoughts, but I'm not going to share anything with anybody about that," Coughlin said Friday, after the Giants (12-4) completed their final bye-week practice. "Our focus is on winning and that is where Steve is, too. And that is where it should be."
New York will learn its NFC semifinal opponent this weekend.
"I'm pretty sure he is going to be here through the end of this season and that's all we worry about," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "Spags will be a great head coach. He has all those qualities, but for now he is our defensive coordinator. He doesn't talk about it in our meetings. He was the same old Spags today and practice went the same way."
Defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said coordinators get job interviews every year, with the ones on winning teams getting the most attention.
"As long as we are prepared for it, and I think we are, we'll be OK," Kiwanuka said. "We've done a pretty good job the last few years with coaching changes, so I think we'll be all right."
Schefter sits down with Shanahan
As Steve Spagnuolo prepares to meet with the Broncos, NFL Network's Adam Schefter sits down with former Denver coach Mike Shanahan in a two-part interview that will air Saturday and Sunday on NFL GameDay Morning. ** More ...**
Defensive end Justin Tuck said that the entire team appreciates what Spagnuolo has done and wants him back.
"I know what makes him a good defensive coordinator," Tuck said. "That's his willingness to listen to his football players, his knowledge of the game, and he goes out there with every intention of having fun. This game is tough regardless of how you slice it, but when you have a guy who has full focus on winning and having fun doing it, it makes your job a whole lot easier."
If Spagnuolo left, Cofield hoped that Coughlin would promote one of the other defensive assistants to coordinator.
"We'd all love that. We feel like a family around here," Cofield said. "These are the guys you see every day, you know? You go to camp with, go to life. You love the ones you are with. If that happened it would be great, though we welcomed Spags with open arms two years ago. We'll welcome the next guy, too."
NOTES:Steve Smith, who led the Giants in receptions this season, did not practice on Friday because of tendinitis in his Achilles' tendon. He said he has been bothered by the injury for weeks. RB Brandon Jacobs (knee), TE Mike Matthews (ankle) and LB Zak DeOssie (unknown) did not practice. Coughlin hopes everyone will be ready next week.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
