Spagnuolo will coach the Rams

The St. Louis Rams and Steve Spagnuolo agreed Saturday on a four-year contract to make the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator their coach.

The team said in a release that Spagnuolo would be introduced at a news conference Monday.

“We considered some very qualified and outstanding candidates for this position, but we kept coming back to Steve Spagnuolo,” General Manager Billy Devaney said in a statement.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Spagnuolo would be paid just under $12 million over four years.

Spagnuolo, 49, replaces Jim Haslett and takes over a team that finished 2-14. Haslett went 2-10 as interim coach after his promotion from defensive coordinator when Scott Linehan was fired following an 0-4 start.

Spagnuolo was the architect of the Giants’ sack-happy defense that thwarted New England’s run to a perfect season in last year’s Super Bowl upset. Devaney was impressed with Spagnuolo’s no-nonsense demeanor during an interview in Los Angeles on Thursday.

“There’s just a toughness about him,” Devaney said.

Spagnuolo was one of five finalists for the job, along with Haslett, Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and defensive coordinators Rex Ryan of Baltimore and Leslie Frazier of Minnesota.

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Peppers wants out

Julius Peppers, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive end, has decided he won’t sign a long-term deal with the Carolina Panthers when he becomes an unrestricted free agent Feb. 26.

Peppers, who grew up in tiny Bailey, N.C., starred in college at North Carolina and was the Panthers’ first-round pick in 2002, believes Carolina’s 4-3 defensive system is not for him -- even after recording a career-high 14 1/2 sacks this season.

“He loves the state of North Carolina. His family is there. The easier situation for him would be to stay in Carolina,” his agent, Carl Carey, said Saturday. “But the decision that he faced was, do I stay in Carolina and perhaps never reach my full potential? Or do I open myself to the possibilities to finish my career elsewhere? He chose the latter.”

Peppers’ decision leaves the Panthers with a big decision.

The team could place the franchise tag on Peppers, which would virtually force him to stay with the Panthers. Under that scenario, another team could sign Peppers only by giving Carolina two first-round draft picks in return.

But doing that would mean the Panthers would have to give Peppers a one-year deal worth a whopping $16.7 million. And Peppers could also decide to hold out.