Greatest NFL defensive coordinator of all time? Chiefs' Steve Spagnuolo presents compelling case

Steve Spagnuolo is about to appear in his fourth Super Bowl in five seasons as the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive coordinator. Yes, coaching for a team that rosters one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time certainly helps the résumé. But over the course of his five-year tenure, Spagnuolo has transformed K.C.'s defense from a liability to the strength of this squad. Already the only coordinator to win Super Bowls with multiple franchises (New York Giants and Chiefs), Spagnuolo can become the only one with four rings on Sunday.

With those accolades in mind, should Spagnuolo be considered the greatest defensive coordinator in NFL history?

It took Spagnuolo a quarter century of coaching to get his first gig calling plays in the NFL, but he seized the opportunity immediately. In his very first season as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, Spagnuolo was essential to Big Blue pulling off one of the league's most improbable Super Bowl triumphs. That 2007-08 run culminated in a masterclass performance where Spagnuolo's defense held the second-highest scoring offense in NFL history to 14 points and spoiled the New England Patriots' undefeated season.

As impressive as Spagnuolo's debut season as an NFL DC was, this year's coaching job might be even more extraordinary. With these Chiefs becoming the second team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in a season in which they had the NFL's youngest defense -- joining the 2009 Indianapolis Colts -- Spagnuolo has built a juggernaut from the ground up. And as Kansas City's offense has taken a step back this season -- ranking outside the top five of expected points added per play for the first time in Patrick Mahomes' career -- Spagnuolo's defense has surged to become a