Jets interview LI's Mike Greenberg for GM job and Steve Spagnuolo, Mike Locksley for head coach spot

Mike Greenberg began his NFL life as a Jets intern, and now the Bellmore native is a candidate for the club’s general manager job. Greenberg interviewed for the position on Friday.

The Jets also interviewed four-time Super Bowl champion and former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Maryland football coach Mike Locksley on Friday for their vacancy at head coach.

Greenberg, a Jets fan growing up, has worked in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ front office in various roles since 2010. He’s been their assistant general manager the last two years.

It would be a full-circle moment for Greenberg if the Jets hire him to head up their football department.

Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum gave Greenberg his start in the NFL in 2008, when he worked as a football administration intern under Tannenbaum for two years.

Jets owner Woody Johnson hired The 33rd Team, founded by Tannenbaum, to help in the searches for a general manager and head coach. Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman also is part of the process, but Johnson will have the final say on the hirings.

Greenberg is the eighth known candidate to interview for the GM vacancy that opened when Johnson fired Joe Douglas in November. The Jets also have spoken to Thomas Dmitroff, Jon Robinson, Jim Nagy, Louis Riddick, Alec Halaby, Mike Borgonzi and Ray Farmer.

A three-sport athlete at Bellmore JFK High School, Greenberg is a graduate of Cornell and Hofstra Law School. He works closely with Bucs GM Jason Licht on the salary cap and contract negotiations. Greenberg also oversees budgeting for all football operations.

A salary cap guru, Greenberg has been instrumental in signing free agents and re-signing players, sometimes getting creative in order to keep Tampa Bay compliant with the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.  He was heavily involved in negotiating Tom Brady’s two-year contract in 2020. Greenberg’s creativity with the cap came in handy when the Buccaneers added Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette and Antonio Brown that year, which culminated in a Super Bowl title.

Greenberg, who joined Tampa Bay 15 years ago as a player personnel assistant, also has been the club’s vice president of football administration, director of football administration and coordinator of football administration.

Spagnuolo and Locksley joined Ron Rivera, Mike Vrabel, Rex Ryan, Matt Nagy and Aaron Glenn as the coaching candidates the Jets have interviewed to this point.

An NFL coach for 26 seasons, Spagnuolo has been a defensive coordinator for 13 years and spent three-plus years as a head coach. He has served as Kansas City’s defensive coordinator since 2019 and has helped the team reach five Super Bowls, winning three.

Spagnuolo, 65, was the Giants’ defensive coordinator for six years in two different stretches with the team. He was the architect of the defense that shut down the 18-0 Patriots in the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII victory.

As a head coach with the Rams and as Giants interim coach after the team fired Ben McAdoo late in 2017, Spagnuolo went a combined 11-41. In Spagnuolo’s career as a defensive coordinator, his teams finished in the top 10 in fewest points allowed seven times, including five years in Kansas City.

Locksley, a surprise name in this search, has coached in college for 23 years, including the last six as the Terrapins’ head man. He’s compiled a 35-67 record in 10-plus seasons at New Mexico and Maryland. Locksley also has worked as an offensive coordinator for Maryland, Alabama and Illinois.

London calling — again

The Jets will play a game in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second consecutive year, the NFL announced on Friday. It will serve as one of their home games.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.