Posts Tagged ‘Lovie Smith’

Philadelphia Eagles Interview Brian Kelly and Lovie Smith; Any Closer to Naming a Head Coach?

Monday, January 14th, 2013

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly
(Image via unhd.com)

The Philadelphia Eagles have ended their second week of the search for a new head coach, and the landscape seems more muddled now than ever before.

This past week’s surprising revelation is the news that the Birds interviewed Notre Coach Brian Kelly.  Is anyone else surprised at how much interest Philadelphia has demonstrated in college coaches with no previous NFL experience?  Particularly those having the last name Kelly?

Could the Notre Dame coach have been yet another Kelly using interest from the NFL as leverage to get something more from his current institution?  The coach is currenty out of the country but is scheduled to speak to the Eagles once again after he returns.  In the meantime, we will all wonder about the nature of that next meeting.

In other news, the Eagles interviewed former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith on Thursday at the NovaCare.  Surprisingly little is known about that meeting, even its duration, with the team only finally confirming that yes, they did indeed speak with Smith.

Smith is at the other end of the spectrum of possibilities for the Eagles.  A candidate like Kelly represents someone untested and unscathed by the NFL.  Fresh energy and perspective.  Smith is on the other end of the scale – a proven NFL coach with a winning record.  Not an easy accomplishment, but with his experience is he the breath of fresh air that Lurie seems to be seeking?

Other coaches currently on the Eagles’ radar are Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, and Bengals OC Jay Gruden will interview with the Birds next week.  As Gruden has already said he has no interest in leaving Cincinnati and is speaking with teams simply to get them off his back, don’t have any high expectations to come out of that meeting.

What twists and turns will this week hold in the continuing search for the next Philadelphia Eagles head coach?  Could there maybe, possibly be another coach named within that period of time?

Yeah, I don’t think so either.  We’ll just look on and continue to wonder as, by comparison, Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs start to build their coaching staff.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Philadelphia Eagles Look to Lovie Smith as Head Coach Search Continues

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

Lovie Smith, the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles?
(Image via Lehigh Valley Live)

 

It’s only been a little over a week since the Philadelphia Eagles parted ways with Andy Reid, but somehow it feels much longer.  Perhaps the fact that Reid was signed, sealed and delivered to Kansas City within the same week he found himself out on the street in Philly provided a somewhat unrealistic measure of comparison.  After all, of seven head coaching vacancies in the NFL, only two have been filled.

 

The Birds’ coaching search took a surprising turn on Tuesday when it was announced that they will interview former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith on Thursday.

 

Has this been part of the plan overall, or are the Eagles in panic mode?

 

Smith was fired from the Chicago Bears after finishing 10-6 this sesaon and failing to make the playoffs.  Like Reid, Smith is viewed as a good coach in the NFL with a good overall winning percentage (.563), but failed to deliver the ultimate prize to his city after taking them to the Super Bowl.

 

Unlike Reid, Smith is known as a defensive guy.  The Eagles have seen a steady decline in the production of their D since the death of Jim Johnson in 2009.  Though it’s widely speculated that Lurie seeks more of an offensive mind, it’s hard to imagine that a proven defensive mind wouldn’t be of some level of interest to Philadelphia.

 

Another name that has appeared on the Eagles list, Jay Gruden in Cincinnati, doesn’t seem to be a feasible option, as he has reportedly stated that he plans to stay with the Bengals but is interviewing simply so that teams will stop calling him.  Um, eww.

 

If Philadelphia is serious about their interest in people like Atlanta’s Mike Nolan and Seattle’s Gus Bradley, in addition to Denver OC Mike McCoy, they may have to wait a while for their man as these teams progress through the playoffs.  And if their top choice makes it to the Super Bowl, then the Eagles could be head coach-less until February.  An unsettling thought but one that could easily become the team’s reality.

 

Colts coach Bruce Arians is also in the mix, but at 60, his possible tenure with the Birds would be limited, which doesn’t seem to appeal to the Eagles.

 

So again we sit and we wait.  Will other top prospects for Philadelphia be snapped up by other teams or decide to stay put where they are?  Probably.  As reminded by CSNPhilly’s Reuben Frank on Sports Rise, Andy Reid was the Eagles’ fifth choice when they last embarked on a head coaching search.

 

So there’s always that.

 

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

 

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