Who will be the new coach of the Eagles? The rumors unpacked
The year is starting out on a precarious note for football fans, as the Eagles just fired a coach, Doug Pederson, who gave the team their first & only Super Bowl title. This name came as a surprise for fans & players alike, but the team’s owner, Jeffrey Lurie, simply doesn’t think he has what it takes. So who will be the new coach of the Eagles? Here are all of the rumors, unpacked.
Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy, the current offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chief, is a strong contender for the new coach position. Bieniemy was the assistant coach to Andy Reid, who was the most successful head coach in the Eagles’s history, with five NFC Championship Game appearances.
In addition, Reid’s assistant coaches have often gone on to become mighty successful themselves: the Baltimore Ravens’s John Harbaugh and the Buffalo Bills’s Sean McDermott, for example.
Arthur Smith
Arthur Smith is currently the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans and is a contender as the new Eagles coach based on his work with Titans QB, Ryan Tannehill. Maybe Smith is the secret ingredient needed to make the Eagles Quarterback, Carson Wentz, the top of the game again.
Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll is currently the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills and is pretty much responsible for Josh Allen, A.K.A. the NFL’s “most-improved” quarterback. Daboll, like Smith, could probably give Carson Wentz some pro-tips, too.
James Urban
Another contender for the new coach job is James Urban, who is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens. Urban has worked closely with Lamar Jackson over the past couple years, and, under his watch, Jackson is the first QB to have two 1,000 yard-rushing seasons and subsequently win the NFL MVP while in the lead in touchdown passes.
Lincoln Riley
Last but not least, Eagles fans should be on the lookout for Lincoln Riley. Riley, the head coach for the Oklahoma Sooners, has been described as an “innovator” who gives his QB multiple options when the ball is thrown.
How the switch-up went down
According to Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie, the change in positions was thought over pretty carefully. “I have spent the last few weeks evaluating everything from this past year and looking ahead,” he explained in a statement. “We are all very disappointed with the way our season went and eager to turn things around, not just for the next season but also for the future of the franchise.”
Lurie added that “Coach Pederson and I had the opportunity to sit down and discuss what the collective vision would look like moving forward. And after taking some time to reflect on these conversations, I believe it is in both of our best interests to part ways.”
On a more personal note, Lurie elaborated: “I have known Doug and his family for more than twenty years and they will always be family to me. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and everything we have accomplished together over the last five seasons. Everyone in the organization understands the type of man and coach he is, and how much he means to all of us as well as the City of Philadelphia.”
Lurie continued: “We all look forward to the day he will be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame as a Super Bowl-winning head coach, and we are confident he will have success with his next team. But as a leader of this organization, it is imperative for me to do what I believe is best for everyone as we look ahead to the future and move into our next chapter.”
“I know that we have work to do to get back to where we want to be, but I also believe that we have an exceptionally strong group of people in this organization who can help set us up for future success,” Lurie concluded.
