Longtime U.Va. assistant Spaziani new BC coach

BOSTON -- Frank Spaziani is the new football coach at Boston College, promoted after spending 12 seasons as an assistant with the Eagles.

The Associated Press said Spaziani's appointment will be announced at a 3 p.m. news conference today, according to a person with knowledge of the decision who requested anonymity because the school had not made an announcement.

Spaziani takes over for Jeff Jagodzinski, who was fired after he interviewed for the coaching job with the New York Jets. Jagodzinski, who had three years left on his five-year contract, had been told by athletic director Gene DeFilippo that he would be fired if he went through with the interview.

DeFilippo has said he wants a coach who will serve out the full length of his contract.

Spaziani spent the past 10 seasons as BC's defensive coordinator after two years as running backs coach. He became interim coach in 2006 when Tom O'Brien left to become coach of North Carolina State before the Eagles played in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. BC beat Navy 25-24 in that game.

Spaziani was passed over for the coaching job when DeFilippo went outside the college to hire Jagodzinski, then offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. Spaziani was one of two BC assistants who kept their jobs on the new staff.

Spaziani spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League before joining BC. He also has been defensive coordinator for two year of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL and an assistant coach for nine years at Virginia under George Welsh.

-- The Associated Press