The Kansas City Chiefs announced Thursday night that they have hired Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator.

Spagnuolo, a former head coach of the Rams and Giants, will replace Bob Sutton, who was fired Tuesday.

The 59-year-old shares ties with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid as the two worked together in Philadelphia, share the same agent and have a mutual respect for each other's work.

"Steve is a bright defensive mind with a lot of coaching experience and success in our league," Reid said in a statement. "I know him well from our time together in Philadelphia and I feel that his leadership skills and teaching abilities, combined with his scheme, will be a great fit for our team as we move forward."

Kansas City finished 31st in total defense this season, in contrast to the offense, which finished No. 1 overall in the NFL.

The Chiefs scored at least 28 points in each of their five losses this season, including games in which they scored 51 and 40 points.