On January 9, 2020, the Philadelphia Eagles fired Offensive Coordinator Mike Groh and Wide Receivers coach Carson Walsh. The Eagles also let go of Defensive Line Coach Phillip Daniels on January 17th. The Eagles have been searching for their next Offensive Coordinator to replace Groh ever since.
I don’t think they will have a problem finding people for the Wide Receivers and Defensive Line coaches. There are a lot of former players looking to venture into coaching as well as other coordinators looking to move up the ladder in the coaching realm. But they are having a problem finding the next Offensive Coordinator.
The Eagles had requested to interview a few candidates like Ravens Quarterback coach James Urban, Ravens Tight End coach Bobby Engram, USC Offensive Coordinator Graham Harrell, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback coach, and former Eagles quarterback Mike Kafka. These coaches have withdrawn their names from consideration except Kafka, who is under Andy Reid and is being blocked by the Chiefs to interview for the position.
Why are these coaches turning down the opportunity to become an Offensive Coordinator for the Eagles? Could it be because they want to call the plays and not Peterson or at least 50/50 play calling? The fact that these coaches are turning down the Eagles and staying where they are at should be a red alert signal.
When Frank Reich was the Offensive Coordinator for the Eagles before becoming the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, he would discuss talking strategy with Peterson before the games. Reich played an important role, and as a result, the Eagles would go on to win the Super Bowl in Minnesota, and Reich became the head coach of the Colts after Patriots OC Josh McDaniels bailed on the Colts.
There are still candidates out there who could become the Eagles’ new Offensive Coordinator like Jim Caldwell, who will not be on the Dolphins staff next year and is still interested in coaching next year, he missed this season due to health issues.
The other candidates who are still available are Jay Gruden, Ben McAdoo, and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky. The Eagles could also promote from within again with either Press Taylor or Duce Staley for the job. Or, could the Eagles be waiting to see how the new XFL league goes and hire an Offensive Coordinator from there?
But even the available candidates might not want the job if they won’t be allowed to call plays. Doug has done a decent job since Reich left. He must learn to trust his coordinators to do their jobs, or else not a lot of people are going to want to come to Philadelphia to join his staff.
Coaches below the status of head coach want to make a name for themselves to prove their worthiness at becoming the next head coach. Those coaches will go to teams that give them the best chance at one day becoming a head coach. The best head coaches teach their staff how to become better, making better plays, study the opposing team, and learning the strengths and weaknesses of their players.
The old adage is there is no I in team, but some head coaches believe it is only them creating the plays, making the right substitutions, and studying the tapes to put together the perfect game plan. Those coaches are short-lived in the NFL.
Just look around at the successful coaches of the day, most have come from a few teams whose head coach mentored them by combining commitment, determination, and perseverance. These men are admired, envied, feared, and most of all, have a character that is trusted.
Trust is a word that we assign only to a few. Trust between owner and head coach, head coach and his staff, and trust between all coaches and players. Just look at the two teams that are headed to the Super Bowl this year, what do you see when you look at the teams?
Why do you think every NFL team is poaching the coaching staff of either the New England Patriots or the Kansas City Chiefs? While Bill Belichick and Andy Reid do call plays, they allow their coaches to coach, and because of this, other teams want them for their knowledge. When Frank Reich was the Eagles’ OC for a couple of years, Doug let him do his job, and he did a great job.
If Doug Peterson wants the best guys available to join his staff, he must consider relinquishing some of the play-calling duties. Peterson can only do so much, and by relinquishing part of the play-calling duties to the new Offensive Coordinator, I think you will see a different Eagles team next year.
