For the second time in five seasons, the Eagles are on the hunt for a new head coach. The team parted ways with Chip Kelly about a little over a week ago and have wasted no time seeking out his replacement.
We now live in a media driven world where major rumors can spring up and then be stomped out in a matter of moments. Keeping track of all the candidates being linked to the Eagles can be a little bit dizzying, but luckily Im here to make your life a little easier.
I’ve put together a neat little list of names worth paying attention to during the Eagles head coaching search, so you don’t have to worry your pretty little head about whats coming out of the rumor mill.
So without further ado, here are the names to keep a close eye on while the Eagles take a ride on the coaching carousel:
Deuce Staley: Former Eagles’ running back and running back’s coach. Staley was the first person to interview for the vacant coaching job. He’s an interesting option, but I doubt he gets the job solely based on his lack of NFL coaching experience. Really, the only reason he even got the interview was because he asked for it, and because he’s black, but that’s more just the NFL’s thinking. There is a possibility that he could serve as the team’s offensive coordinator next season, but that’s something the next head coach will have to decide.
Pat Shurmer: Former offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams and head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Also served as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator under Chip Kelly and the team’s interim head coach after his release. Shurmer preformed admirably in the team’s season finale earning a win over the New York Giants, but that’s not nearly close to enough to earn him a head coaching job. I see Pat Shurmer more as the Eagles’ back up plan. If they strike out on all the candidates they’re looking at, they can lean on Shurmer for a year until something better comes along. Something worth noting is his ties to Sam Bradford. Before this season, Sam Bradford had his best season playing under Shurmer is St. Louis. In free agency, if it comes down to Bradford picking a familiar face, having Shurmer around might not be the worst idea.
David Shaw: Now I have to admit Im kidding myself a little bit on this one, but I mean a kid can dream. David Shaw is the person coaching the Eagles in my dreams, he is far and away my favorite candidate for Chip’s old job. Shaw is currently the head coach at Stanford university and is a disciple of Jim Harbaugh. Shaw’s name has been linked to the Eagles as well several other teams, but he has yet to make his feelings known if he wants to make the jump to the pros. The consensus feeling now is that he will not be going pro. If he ever does decide to go big time, the Eagles might be an option for them. Shaw served as an Eagles’ assistant coach in the late 90’s.
Hue Jackson: Former Oakland Raiders head coach and current Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator. I like Jackson as a head coaching option. The guy only lasted a season in Oakland but his firing had more to do with a change in management wanting a head coach of their choice. Jackson led the Raiders to an 8-8 record, the closest thing to a winning record the Raiders have seen in quite sometime. As the offensive coordinator, Jackson has worked wonders on the Bengals’ offense. He turned Andy Dalton from the one of the most painfully average quarter backs into one of the best young QBs in the game. Jackson has turned the Bengals into the 7th highest scoring offense in football averaging about 26 points per game. The thing I like the most about Jackson is what he can do with running backs. He made Giovanni Bernard and Jeremy Hill even more renowned as a running back tandem and he helped Darren McFadden to a career best 1,664 yards of total offense in 2010. Due to his team actually being good, Jackson can not yet interview for coaching jobs. He has three interviews scheduled for Sunday with the Browns, Dolphins, and Niners. The Eagles have yet to express any interest in Jackson.
Adam Gase: Former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator and current Chicago Bears offensive coordinator. Ok, this is the biggey. This is the top dawg. This is the guy that every organization is gunning for. He is the hot young offensive mind who is ready to take the world by storm. This is the guy that I think is riding a ton of unwarranted hype and will fizzle out pretty quickly, a la Josh McDaniels and, so far, Mike McCoy. Everyone is making this guy out to be some type of quarter back savior, but honestly, I don’t see it. People give him credit for Peyton Manning’s career year in Denver, but having Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, and Julius Thomas helps a lot. Oh and there’s the whole HGH thing. I’m sure Gase did a lot for that offense, but Peyton was great long before Gase came around. Then there’s Jay Cutler, who people say was completely transformed by Adam Gase, but his numbers are still as Jay Cutler-y as possible. Sure, Cutler threw less picks, seven less to be exact, but his touchdowns fell by the same amount. Cutler finished 19th in passing yards, 28th in yards per game, 17th in touchdowns, and 18th in first downs. Seems to me like a very Jay Cutler season, AND YOU CALL THIS MAN A SAVIOR! The Bears were 23rd in the league in points per game and and 21st in yards per game, nothing about their offense is very impressive and yet this is the guy the everyone is begging for. The Eagles held an interview with Gase on Tuesday and have already invited him for a second interview this weekend. Gase also has an interview set with the Dolphins, who are said to be hot on his trail. Reports say the Dolphins don’t want Gase to leave without a contract.
Sean McDermott: Former Eagles defensive coordinator and current Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator. McDermott was the heir to Jim Johnson’s throne, but Jimmy left too deep of a butt print and McDermott got swallowed up. He only lasted a season, but that had more to do with him not being Jim Johnson, although there wasn’t much of an uproar when he was let go. Since joining Carolina, the Panthers’ defense has been a force, they’ve been top ten in points allowed twice reaching as high as second in the league in 2013 (15.1 pts/gm). It just goes to show you what McDermott could have been capable of with the right players. The one catch to McDermott’s success is Ron Rivera, he’s seen as more of a defensive minded head coach, so you can’t really be completely sure who’s responsible for the dominant defense. The Eagles have yet to schedule a meeting with McDermott or show any interest in the Carolina coordinator, but he has already expressed his desire to come back to Philly. McDermott’s name has been linked to multiple non-Philadelphia teams, most recently the New York Giants.
Doug Pederson: Former Eagles’ quarter backs coach and current Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator. Peterson is a very intriguing option. Kansas City is a team known for their defense, while their offense has often been considered pretty vanilla thanks in large part to Alex Smith and a wide receiver group that didn’t catch a single touchdown in over a year. Things were looking pretty grim early in the season for KC after they started 1-4 and lost Jamaal Charles for the season, but their rebound has been astounding and I credit Pederson for that. The Chief’s have gone 10-1 since Charles’ injury, this is incredible considering Charles’ was KC’s entire offense. The Chiefs are now headed to the playoffs on the backs of 2nd and 3rd string RBs Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware. The two have accounted for 1,037 yards on the ground and ten TDs in relief of Charles. Pederson’s work in the run game is very much impressive, and with DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews already en tow you might not need a superstar QB if you bring him on, just something super average like Alex Smith. Plus he’s an Andy Reid disciple which doesn’t hurt. Pederson has been linked to the Eagles practically since the job became available, but there are conflicting reports on the Eagles’ interest level. The Eagles are reportedly trying to interview Pederson some time after the Chief’s playoff game this Saturday. Some believe Pederson to be the strongest candidate for the Eagles job next to Adam Gase.
Ben McAdoo: Former Green Bay Packers quarter backs coach and current New York Giants offensive coordinator. People think Adam Gase works wonders on quarter backs, but I think Ben McAdoo does a much better job. McAdoo coached Aaron Rodgers to his only Super Bowl victory and helped Eli Manning set a career high in TDs this season. Limiting turnovers is where McAdoo really improves quarter backs. In his two years with Aaron Rodgers, Rodgers set a personal best for fewest interceptions thrown over a two year span. Before McAdoo, Eli Manning threw 27 picks and was coming off his career worst season, since then he has thrown 14 ints in consecutive seasons and is showing some actual signs of consistency. Eli also set a new personal best in passer rating at 93.6. What might be even more impressive is McAdoo’s work with Odell Beckham Jr. who broke the record for most receiving yards through two seasons, before he’s ever even played two full seasons. Before McAdoo came, the Giants were 28th in points per game, they’re now 6th in the league. Aaron Rodgers has only gotten better since being coached by McAdoo, the Giants offense continues to improve under him, they’ve gone from 28th to 10th and then to 8th in yards per game. If it can’t be David Shaw, than this is the guy I want. McAdoo has already interviewed for the Eagles’ vacant head coaching job, but a second meeting has yet to be scheduled. Ben is also the favorite for the Giant’s open coaching gig, so this one could get interesting.
Snowballs & Batteries 