Frank
Spaziani, the defensive coordinator for the Aggies, enters his fifth season with the New Mexico State football program in 2020.
One of the most respected defensive minds in football, Spaziani was the head coach at Boston College from 2009-12, leading the Eagles to two bowl games in his time at the helm. He also served as the interim head coach in 2006 and led BC to a win over Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Since Spaziani came on board at NM State ahead of the 2016 campaign, the Aggie defense has produced historic numbers year in and year out.
The 2018 season saw four student-athletes register 100 or more tackles, including linebacker Javahn Fergurson (132). Fergurson led the nation in tackles per game with 13.2 while Ron LaForce (122), Leon McQuaker (120) and Terrill Hanks (101) each posted 100-tackle seasons.
Hanks went on to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine before signing as an undrafted free agent deal with the Miami Dolphins - his hometown team.
In 2017,
Spaziani helped the Aggies snap their 57-year bowl drought and defeat Utah State, 26-20, in overtime in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. Spaziani's defense played a big role in the win, as McQuaker earned defensive MVP honors in the game.
The defensive unit erupted for 43 sacks in 2017, tying for second most in the country and establishing a new program record. Spaziani's defense held the final three opponents to 20 points or less, and seven student-athletes on the defensive side of the ball received All-Sun Belt Conference honors at the season's end.
Linebacker Dalton Herrington and defensive end Cedric Wilcots II picked up first-team All-Conference nods. Herrington led the Sun Belt in tackles with 134, which included 16 for loss and 6.5 sacks. Wilcots II, meanwhile, paced the Aggies defense with 8.5 sacks, which was good for second most in the Sun Belt.
Under Spaziani's watch, defensive backed Ron LaForce claimed Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors in 2017. LaForce began his NM State career with a pair of interceptions against in-state rival New Mexico, earned him Player of the Week recognition from the conference.
LaForce, a transfer from College of the Sequoias, thrived under Spaziani's tutelage, finishing his first campaign in Las Cruces with 98 tackles and three interceptions. He became the first Aggie to earn the conference's Newcomer of the Year honor.
Hanks, defensive back Shamad Lomax, and defensive lineman Roy Lopez rounded out NM State defense's All-Conference selections in 2017. Lomax, a third-team honoree, finished the season tied for second in the Sun Belt in interceptions with four, including one returned for a touchdown, and led the conference with four forced fumbles.
Hanks and Lopez each received honorable-mention accolades. Hanks finished second on the team in tackles (111) and sacks (seven), and Lopez posted 39 tackles and a pair of sacks on the season.
In Spaziani's first season on the job during the 2016 campaign, linebacker Rodney Butler led the nation in tackles (165), becoming the third Aggie in program history to lead the nation in tackles for a single season. Butler collected All-America and first-team All-Sun Belt accolades under Spaziani's watch, and safety Jaden Wright was placed on the All-Sun Belt Second Team.
Spaziani arrived at NM State after spending 16 years at BC overall, working his first two seasons (1997-98) as the Eagles' running backs coach before serving as the defensive coordinator for the next 10 (1999-2008). He was named head coach in 2009, leading BC to a 22-29 record in four seasons.
As head coach, he developed one of the most accomplished linebackers in collegiate football history, overseeing Luke Kuechly's progression from Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2009 to the Bronco Nagurski Trophy and Butkus Award winner in 2011. Kuechly was selected ninth overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Under Spaziani's guidance as defensive coordinator, the Eagles consistently fielded one of the top defenses in college football. In 2008, the Eagles ranked in the top 10 in the nation in seven defensive categories, including interceptions (26), turnovers gained (36), total defense (268.14 yards per game), red zone defense (72 percent), first downs allowed (14.71 per game.), rushing defense (91.2 yard per game) and pass efficiency defense (98.81). In addition, linebacker Mark Herzlich was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2007, Spaziani's defense ranked second in the nation and led the ACC in rushing defense, allowing just 75.5 yards per game. The BC defense also ranked second in the ACC in red zone defense, keeping opponents from scoring nearly 72 percent of the time. Free safety Jamie Silva was a consensus All-America first-team selection and was one of three finalists for the 2007 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back. Silva was MVP of the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, in which he had two interceptions.
Spaziani was part of a staff that led the Eagles to an 11-3 finish, the first BC team to win 11 games since 1940. The 2007 Eagles began the season 8-0 and were ranked No. 2 in the nation in both major polls. The team won the Atlantic Division of the ACC and went on to win an eighth consecutive bowl game, then the longest active bowl game winning streak in America. The Eagles finished 10th in the final AP poll, BC's best finish since the 1984 season.
Spaziani was credited with BC's 25-24 win over Navy in the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl, as he served as interim head coach following the departure of Tom O'Brien. In 2006, BC led the ACC with five defensive touchdowns. The Eagles were third in the ACC in scoring defense and Jo-Lonn Dunbar was named National Defensive Player of the Week when he scored two of BC's three defensive touchdowns vs. Maryland.
In 2005, BC led the ACC in rushing defense (90.8 ypg.) and red zone defense (25-39, 64.1%) and were ranked third in scoring defense (15.9 ypg.). The 2004 Eagles were ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense, top 20 in rushing defense and top 25 in pass efficiency defense.
In 2003, BC was ranked second in the Big East in total defense and rushing defense. During the 2002 season, the Eagle defense was ranked 13th nationally in passing defense, 25th in pass efficiency defense, 23rd in scoring defense and 37th in total defense.
Spaziani joined the BC coaching staff after three seasons with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. During his coaching tenure in Calgary, he served two seasons as the defensive coordinator. Prior to his coaching stint at Calgary, he served as the defensive coordinator for two years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Prior to his move to the CFL, Spaziani spent nine years as a member of the Virginia coaching staff. He was defensive coordinator for his last five seasons in Charlottesville after having been the defensive backs coach for the first four.
Spaziani has been a member of coaching staffs for teams that have reached 23 bowl games, including the 2017 NOVA Homa Loans Arizona Bowl, 2010 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, 2009 Emerald Bow, 2008 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl, 2005 MPC Computers Bowl, 2004 Continental Tire Bowl, 2003 Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl, 2002 Motor City Bowl, 2001 Music City Bowl, 2000 Aloha Bowl, 1999 Insight.com Bowl, 1990 Sugar Bowl, 1989 Citrus Bowl, 1987 All-American Bowl, 1984 Peach Bowl, 1981 Liberty Bowl, 1980 Garden State Bowl and 1978 Holiday Bowl.
Spaziani is a 1969 graduate of Penn State, where he was a star defensive end for the Nittany Lions. He began his coaching career in 1969 as a graduate assistant to head coach Joe Paterno at Penn State.
After three years as an assistant high school coach, he became head coach at Hempstead (N.Y.) HS in 1973, and, a year later, at Raritan (N.J.) HS. He joined head coach George Welsh as an offensive assistant at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975 and went with Welsh from Annapolis to Virginia in 1982.
Frank and his wife, the former Laura Heikel, are the parents of three children, Joseph and twins Avery and Andrew.
