Chip Kelly is out as Eagles head coach, as Philadelphia begins its search for a replacement early. Finding the right leading man won’t be easy, however. The team will not have a top draft pick in 2016 despite missing the playoffs, and it does not have a franchise quarterback waiting in the wings. Those two factors may deter upper-level candidates from signing on the dotted line.
Here are three coaching candidates that may be able to work around those issues.
Players' Effort, Not Wins And Losses, Got Chip Kelly Fired
Sean McDermott, Panthers Defensive Coordinator
Don’t have a franchise quarterback? Then get yourself a premier defensive mind. McDermott, 41, is young for a coach and he’s been the brains behind the Panthers’ defense for the last five years. The Panthers’ lead the league in takeaway/giveaway ratio this season, and are inside the Top 6 for the second time in three seasons. McDermott’s defenses have ranked in the Top 6 in that category four times.
The Eagles’ defense has been embarrassed on multiple occasions this year, but they also have a number of talented players on the roster, and the capability of forcing turnovers consistently. With McDermott at the helm, they could become a dominant defensive unit, and subsequently rely on Sam Bradford to simply manage games instead of trying to win them with his arm.
Titans Make More Sense For Chip Kelly Than A College Job
Urban Meyer, Ohio State Head Coach
The Eagles may be gunshy about hiring another hotshot from the college ranks, but Meyer is a different breed. He’s compiled a 153-27 record as a head coach for Bowling Green, Florida, and Ohio State, and has lost more than two games in a season just once since 2008. Meyer has won three national championships –two with Florida, one with Ohio State – and is 3-0 in the big game. Meyer has had five different teams hit No. 1 in the AP poll.
Meyer, 51, is the most decorated coach in college football right now behind Alabama’s Nick Saban, but he’d likely be a more attractive NFL candidate than the Crimson Tide’s coach. Meyer is 13 years younger than Saban, and his resume is devoid of previous NFL failure, while Saban had a tumultuous two-year run with the Dolphins. If the Eagles were to dip into the NCAA talent pool again, they can only go with a glossy, established name or else they risk the wrath of their fans.
They’d also need to make Meyer a ridiculous offer to get him to leave a dream job at Ohio State.
Sean Payton, Saints Head Coach
Payton’s job is in jeopardy after a second straight losing season, but his four-year run from 2009-2013 was incredible. He led the Saints to a 48-16 record – and a Super Bowl – in that span and routinely had one of the NFL’s best offenses. The Saints’ offense led the league in yards five times under Payton, and rank second this year. That is music to Eagles’ fans ears after watching Kelly’s offense sputter all season, despite points being his calling card.
The red flag in hiring Payton, however, is that Drew Brees doesn’t come with him. Payton’s offensive wizardry has never been proven without an elite quarterback executing his vision. Payton might be able to wring value out of Bradford or Mark Sanchez, but it’s more likely he can’t. If not, Payton will be another expensive, failed hire.
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