Spagnuolo is out of the picture

In yet another twist in the Redskins coaching search, Spagnuolo told the Redskins yesterday morning that he was not interested in the position, fueling speculation that Fassel’s hiring was imminent.

One report circulated that owner Dan Snyder’s plane yesterday was in Arizona, where Fassel lives, but a team source strongly debunked that story.

With Spagnuolo out — he was never offered a contract — the Redskins have several options:

» Hire Fassel. The ex-Giants coach is the perceived front-runner by many, but not with the players. Fassel has not been a head coach since getting fired by the Giants in 2003. One veteran said, “Please tell me we didn’t take five weeks just to come up with Jim Fassel … My fear is that this would be a one or two-year stopgap until they found someone else.”

» Hire Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks. He impressed the Redskins with his preparation and detailed knowledge of the team and has interviewed twice. Steve Mariucci would be a somewhat distant third on this list.

» Hire a mystery candidate. According to a team source, the Redskins have interviewed at least one or two other people who have not yet been identified. There’s also a chance another interview could be conducted.

Though the process has been long — Joe Gibbs retired Jan. 8 — team sources say Snyder felt burned in the past by interview sessions that weren’t as thorough or detailed.

As for Spagnuolo, he wanted to stay in New York, where he received a three-year, $6 million contract. A league source said Spagnuolo was concerned with the Redskins salary cap situation (approximately $16 million over) and the fact that he did not choose his assistants.

“I think they really thought they would get him,” the source said.