Philadelphia Eagles These are strange times for the Philadelphia Eagles. For the first time in 14 years, the team is searching for a new head coach after firing Andy Reid on Monday.
Now we have an indication as to which direction the team wants to go.
Per Howard Eskin of Fox 29 TV and 94WIP radio in Philadelphia, who cites sources, team owner Jeffrey Lurie initially is looking to interview five candidates. They are: Penn State coach Bill O'Brien, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, and, of course, Oregon coach Chip Kelly.
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So there you have it. It's obvious the Eagles are looking for an offensive mind to take over the team, and we figure Kelly is the apple of their eye.
As USA TODAY Sports' Mike Garafolo noted in his recap of Black Monday, "Lurie is saying he's looking for an innovative coach who's ahead of the game and knows where the league is trending. If that's not a public plea for Kelly, we don't know what it is."
Makes sense, doesn't it?
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Jon Gruden, former Buccaneers head coach: Gruden's name has been floated around for just about every NFL vacancy and high-profile college gig since Tampa Bay fired him after the 2008 season. The ESPN analyst reportedly will speak to teams, and some possible landing spots include Philadelphia and San Diego.
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Jim Caldwell, Ravens offensive coordinator: Caldwell took the Colts to the Super Bowl in his first season as head coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator late in the 2012 season.
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Kyle Shanahan, Redskins offensive coordinator: The 33-year-old certainly has had a lifetime of experience under his father and will likely get a head coaching opportunity at some point thanks to his work with the young Skins offense. A team looking for a bright offensive mind (Chicago, Kansas City?) could be the best fit if that time comes in 2013.
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Joe DeCamillis, Cowboys special teams coach: Even though his unit had several high-profile screwups this season, DeCamillis was courted by the Raiders for their assistant head coaching job last season (the Cowboys denied permission) and might be a darkhorse candidate by some team looking for an unconventional hire.
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Todd Haley, Steelers offensive coordinator: Haley was 19-26 in Kansas City from 2009-2011, guiding the Chiefs to the playoffs in 2010.
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Jack Del Rio, Broncos defensive coordinator: Del Rio was 68-71 from 2003-2011 as Jacksonville's head coach, leading the Jaguars to postseason appearances. His work transforming the Broncos defense into one of the league's best will surely make him a hot candidate.
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Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator: McDaniels didn't make it through two seasons as Denver's head coach, returning to the Patriots in 2012. The 36-year-old is still highly regarded, but count him out of the Bears job given his history with Jay Cutler.
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Andy Reid, former Eagles head coach: Reid has indicated that he’d like to coach in 2013 but it might be better for him to take a year off to recharge after a grueling year on and off the field. San Diego would probably be an ideal landing spot for the Southern California native but the Chargers may not have mutual interest.
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Mike McCoy, Broncos offensive coordinator: After adjusting his team’s gameplan to suit Tim Tebow (and win) and then revamping for Peyton Manning, the 40-year-old McCoy is one of the hottest candidates out there. He’s never been a head coach, but Chicago has reportedly already requested an interview and several other teams will likely follow.
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Lovie Smith, former Bears coach: Smith is out in Chicago after a 10-6 season and may find an organization happy to pursue someone with his career bonafides. Smith would be a bigger name than any of the Bills’ recent hires and Arizona might kick the tires as well.
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Doug Marrone, Syracuse head coach: The former Saints offensive coordinator has turned the Orange football program around and is seen as similar to Tampa Bay’s Greg Schiano, who wrapped up his first year in the NFL after bolting Rutgers. With only seven openings, Marrone will have to really wow in interviews to get a job over other potential college guys like Chip Kelly or Nick Saban.
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Nick Saban, Alabama head coach: If Saban wins another national title, there’s always a chance that he might decide that he wants another shot at winning a Super Bowl. The former defensive coordinator in Cleveland under Bill Belichick, Saban is likely to at least get a few call from new owner Jimmy Haslam to gauge his interest.
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Bill O’Brien, Penn State head coach: O’Brien, the former offensive coordinator in New England, is reportedly high on Cleveland and Philadelphia’s wish lists. Any team who gets him would likely have to pay Penn State a hefty buyout fee to get him out of his contract, which automatically extended to 2020 after the school was hit with NCAA sanctions this summer.
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Chip Kelly, Oregon head coach: Kelly has gone to BCS bowls in each of his four seasons leading the Ducks, but many question whether or not his spread-option offense would translate to the NFL. Still, he'll probably get some calls from teams looking to mane a splash.
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Winston Moss, Packers assistant head coach/linebackers coach: Moss was considered the early front-runner for the Oakland Raiders job last January, which eventually went to Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. He may get a look in Buffalo.
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Jay Gruden, Bengals offensive coordinator: His brother will get most of the press but Jay Gruden could also be in line for several head jobs after helping mentor the Bengals young offense to two consecutive playoff berths. Cleveland, Buffalo and Philadelphia could all have him on their radar.
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Perry Fewell, Giants defensive coordinator: The Giants defense has been maddeningly inconsistent under Fewell, but he could get a look in Buffalo, where he was offensive coordinator for four years and the interim head coach at the end of 2009.
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Vic Fangio, 49ers defensive coordinator: Under Fangio’s direction, the 49ers defense has become one of the best in the NFL. He’d be a little old (at 54) for a first-time head coaching job but the eastern Pennsylvania native might be an appealing fit to the Eagles, who’ll look to reestablish their defense.
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Bruce Arians, Colts offensive coordinator: Arians served as interim head coach while Chuck Pagano was away and the Colts went from 2-14 to the postseason. His work with Andrew Luck this year could make him a good candidate for the Chiefs, who hold the No. 1 pick.
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Kirk Ferentz, Iowa head coach: The Hawkeyes are 100-74 in Ferentz's 14 years at the helm. Rumors have circulated tying Ferentz to the now-vacant Chiefs job.
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Brian Billick, former Ravens head coach: Billick hasn't coached since 2007, but his name always seems to get floated around.
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Bob Stoops, Oklahoma head coach: In Norman since 1999, Stoops has no NFL experience and has frequently turned down potential opportunities to make the jump. Only he knows whether his mindset has changed. Stoops did grow up near Cleveland in Youngstown, Ohio, so it would make sense that the Browns might see where his head’s at.
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Brian Kelly, Notre Dame head coach: Kelly has never coached in the NFL, and is unlikely to leave South Bend. Still, Kelly has been known to jump ship if a better offer comes up.
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Mike Zimmer, Bengals defensive coordinator: Now in his fifth season in Cincinnati, Zimmer was a candidate to get his first head-coaching job in both Indianapolis and Tampa Bay last year. Zimmer’s proven NFL pedigree could put him in the running somewhere like Buffalo.
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Mike Holmgren, former Browns president: Holmgren, who hasn't coached since 2008, has left the Browns organization and will probably get a call for some team looking to make a safe hire.
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Rick Dennison, Texans offensive coordinator: The former Broncos player and assistant was among the early names for Denver’s vacancy two years ago and may get some attention depending on how the Texans’ playoff run ends up.
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Bill Cowher, former Steelers head coach: Cowher has been out of coaching since 2006, but his name will probably come up for the Eagles job.
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Mike Nolan, Falcons defensive coordinator: Nolan was 18-37 in three and a half years as the 49ers head coach but could get another opportunity somewhere due to his guiding of the Falcons defense.
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