And The Next Head Coach of the Philadelphia Eagles Is...

No matter how badly you want him out, we are stuck with Andy Reid for at least the rest of this season.  Petition all you like, the reasons for not firing Reid today outweigh the benefits of a head coaching change five games into the season.

This isn't baseball.  Teams can't make a switch midway into the season simply to change the attitude in the clubhouse.  Head coaching searches take days, sometimes weeks, and a new guy is going to want to employ his own staff and install his own system.  There simply isn't time for any of that now, not to mention the fact that nobody is really available once the season begins.  The only guy who could possibly take over for Reid at this stage is Marty Mornhinweg, an interim move which may or may not actually be an improvement.  Remember, Marty is the same coach who took the wind in overtime.

But as soon as this season ends, all options are on the table, and there are going to be some interesting names on Jeffrey Lurie's shortlist should Reid get canned.  Let's have a look.

Bill Cowher, Bruce Arians, Mike Mularkey

I'm pretty sure Cowher is at the top of everybody's list, and I don't just mean fans.  The question is what it would take to persuade Coach Chin back to the sidelines, if he's even ready to come back at all.

Either way, I'm sure he'll endorse at least two of his former coaches.  Arians is the current Steelers offensive coordinator, and coming into this season he was considered a rising star in the coaching world.  Mularkey had an unsuccessful stint as the Bills head coach, going 14-18 in two years after leaving Pittsburgh in '04.  He now runs the Falcons offense, which has been surprisingly good so far this season and could earn him some consideration for a new gig.

Josh McDaniels

After Cowher, this probably will be the most sought after coach on the market.  McDaniels became the Patriots offensive coordinator in '06 at age 30, and of course was at the helm during last season's record setting performance.  If the Eagles offense continues to struggle, this Belicheck disciple's knowledge of the spread offense is going to be very enticing, especially with Kolb's experience in such a system at Houston.

Steve Spagnuolo, Rex Ryan

How important are connections in this business?  As you know, Spagnuolo was a coach here from '99 to '06, and while he just signed an extension with the Giants, Lurie might be the one person who can lure him out of New York.  Buddy Ryan's son is also an interesting choice not only because his name, but because of his fine work with Baltimore's D since '99.  Hiring either of these guys probably signals a move away from Jim Johnson as well.

Brian Billick

Billick most likely would not be the most popular pick, but there are a lot of proven positives that come with him.  He built his reputation as the mind behind the Vikings potent offense in the nineties, and he won a Super Bowl with Trent freakin Dilfer of all people.  Despite years of offensive ineptitude in Baltimore, I think he would be on anyone's short list.

Jim Schwartz, Mike Trgovac

Rounding out the list are a couple more defensive candidates.  Schwartz has been the coordinator in Tennessee since '01, and right now there isn't a more dominant defense in football.  Trgovac has held the same position in Carolina since '02, so Lurie has seen his work firsthand on plenty of occasions.  Any defensive hire would signal a true change in coaching philosophy, allowing one guy to simply run the offense with the defensive coach in charge of the team.

The Incumbent

There is no defending Reid's gameplan last week, or in general.  He has proven over the years that his biggest downfall is often on gameday, so it really comes as no surprise that he cost us a game or two early in the season.  His job should be very much on the line this season, no question about it. 

He also deserves the opportunity to pull the Eagles out of this mess.  There are 11 games to go, and they are due to receive some reinforcements in Shawn Andrews, Kevin Curtis, and Victor Abiamiri.  If the Eagles sweep the remainder of the division schedule, at 4-2 they guarantee themselves at least the same record as the Giants and Cowboys.  String together some wins against the rest of their opponents, and they're right back in the mix.  Hey, this team has pulled it off before.  It's a hell of a task, but there are way too many games remaining to quit on this season.

Other than winning the Super Bowl, what would you consider good enough to spare Reid's job, or is this a divorce that we need almost regardless of the final outcome?

Comments

[DL Hunter]

wait? why the f- would we fire reid? he's the best coach this team has ever had, and the 2nd best nfl coach of the last 10 years per winning percentage. We're so spoiled with the eagles, that a few bad seasons (and not THAT bad, mind you) mixed with many more dominant ones and we want the coach out. this is ridiculous. look at the lions and you'll see why we're lucky. idiots. all of you.

[DL Hunter]

BTW, Kulp your post makes no sense. Head coach searches "take days, sometimes weeks"? DAYS? like they look through a phonebook, do some googling and then settle on the guy with the best wikipedia page? I hope they put forth more effort than you do with your posts.

"His job should be very much on the line this season, no question about it."
REALLY? I'll tell you what, Matt Millen is available, would you prefer him?

People like you, my friend, are why Philly fans get reputations for being idiots. Because you are. And Andy Reid can turn my children into crack-addicted-gun-toting war criminals and I still wouldn't want him fired.
Wait, is Rich Kotite available?

[enrico]

DL Hunter, are you related to Andy Reid?

[chris]

DL Hunter are you Andy reid?

[Mr. Bryan]

The grass is always greener isn't it? Do Don and Andy frustrate me sometimes, yes. As a fan, do I want to deal with what the Vikings, Bucs, Chiefs, and Raiders have to, no.

[Benjamin]

it's Dale Hunter, not DL Hunter!! You, my non-friend are the idiot. Since the superbowl, the eagles are barely .500, if at all.

[Nick B.]

While I'm as pissed about the last couple games as anyone, I'm not about to make him walk the plank. The losses have been painful, but they have not come against cupcakes. And I don't think the absence of Andrews is getting as much attention as it should. Losing an anchor of your line is as important, if not more important than your starting RB.

Finish below .500, then I'll be listening, but after 5 games I think it's premature.

A lot of people started flipping out after the Phillies lost a couple in September, claiming the sky was falling then too... http://www.the700level.com/2008/09/morning-extra-6.html

Just sayin'...

[millertime]

@ DL: who gives a shit how many games we win if we don't have a ring? this isn't the nfc east of 00-06, and the truth of the matter is he's been out-coached by a team with a rent-a-quarterback and a first year guy in the last two weeks. i don't think we should hand him his pink slip just yet, but what has he done for us lately.

[AZTerror]

Is Reid really the problem? I would put more on Mornhinweg than Reid. He is the OC...that's his job, to coordinate the offense. If his thoughts and ideas are getting shot down by Reid, then he needs to stand up for what he believes in. He needs to push the envelope a little and take control of the offense. Because whether he has a job or a title, he is still responsible for the offensive ineptitude just as much as Reid. It would be nice to see a forward thinker in the OC position, someone who is able to forsee how the defense will adjust to what they are seeing and make the adjustments to what the defense will be doing.

AND FOR GOD'S SAKE, WILL SOMEONE TELL THEM TO STOP PASSING THE BALL IN ORDER TO SET UP PLAYACTION!!!!!!!

[zfg]

If nothing else, the message has to be sent to Reid that bad play calling and saying "this one's on me" isn't gonna cut it anymore. Maybe letting him know that his ass is on the hot seat will help (see: Coughlin, Tom), and if not...

[HLH]

This is a nice article to discuss but with that said, Andy isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I think Donovan would be the first to go and unless he gets hurt this season I atleast see him coming back next year. The people that want to fire Reid are the same people that say we need a big back. Get over it the Eagles are a passing team and always will be. Go cheer for the Steelers if you want to see a 50/50 split. As for the names mentioned....How long did it take Cohwer to win the Superbowl????? Billick the popular choice? He won one superbowl in all those years because of his defense and never had the smarts to change his lousy QB. And the rest of the names have to be a joke! If anyone was to take over Reids spot I would think our defensive coordinator would be the best fit. But is he head coach material or just a defensive coordinator? Before we get fire and blame crazy lets remember what happened in NY a year ago. It's gonna be hard but it's possible with the team we have. L.J. Smith needs to bring his game up a notch. Hopefully Klecko will do better at FB and Hunt can be our big back that evryone always crys about. Jackson needs more plays designed for him. Not end arounds or short passes either....deep passes! And Mcnabb needs to atleast run to pick up a first every once in awhile. The defense just needs to work with Gocong on covering the te's. If not maybe it's time to give Akeem Jordan a look. He is more of a downhill attacker then Gocong but from what i've seen so far he couldn't do worse than Gocong when it comes to covering. Akers...I'm not gonna go there...If it's fourth and short and it's gonna be more than a 40 yard fiels goal go for the first. We used to do that every once in awhile anyway....The mistakes i've seen Reid make this year in my eyes.....Listening to whoever told him to challenge last week. They need to have atleast a couple plays ready at a time when we're down by 2 scores in the fourth. No huddling up after each play. That makes me more upset than anything! The goal line stand last week may be his fault but this week it wasn't, Mcnabb called an audible. The line is kind of the blame for both if you really think about it. If anyone would like to add to Reid's mistakes I'd really like to hear them? All this Fire Reid talk and I haven't really heard a logically reason why?

[Patrick]

Should we just hire a really great offense coordinator who can keep Reid off the headset in the fourth quarter? Despite his recent troubles managing games, Reid has helped to get Philly a ton of winning seasons.

[Joe]

Andy has been a great coach for a long time, but sorry DL, his time has come. The team has missed the playoffs three of the last four years and are last in the division early this season. If the Eagles finish last again, I think it's time for a change.
Don't get me wrong, Reid is probably the best or second best coach in franchise history. He restored the Eagles to prominence. But he never got over the hump, and his teams have gotten worse and more predictable over the past few seasons. In the NFL, it's all about what you've done lately. And lately, Big Red hasn't gotten the job done.

[DL Hunter]

@Benjamin
"Since the superbowl, the eagles are barely .500, if at all."

Do you realize you just 'since the superbowl'? As in that game everyone wants to reach? And that which we barely lost against a better team? Not many people would have the balls to start bitching about the coach because 4 years after they lost the superbowl, they haven't gone back. How many coaches have failed and been fired since 2004? Try 16. Put that in your corn cob pipe and smoke.

Just about our WHOLE roster has changed since 2004. THAT team peaked in skill in '04 (after 4 straight NFC Championship game appearances mind you, mind-bogglingly good, Super Bowl or no). Reid has been rebuilding since then, and he's so good at it that our rebuilding years (that should have looked like the Raiders, Lions, or 49ers) appeared to be off-years between playoff trips.

And know I'm not Andy Reid's poolboy, but at times I feel like the only sensible person here.

[DLo34]

@ EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO FIRE ANDY REID

WHY WOULD WE FIRE AND REID?

Coming into the 2008 campaign, only 3 active coaches have better career winning percentages. Reid is tied with Belichick in career winning percentage.

Dungy (.658)
McCarthy (.667)
Holmgren (.612)
Belichick (.611)
Reid (.611)

And for all of you Bill Cowher lovers out there is career winning percentage is only .008 higher than Reid's at .619.

But now you say, well Bill has a ring. Cowher got that ring in his 14th year as coach of the Steelers. This is only Reid's 10th season. You think by firing Reid and hiring some other coach who will take a year to get the personnel and system set will magically make the Eagles win those one or two extra games?

Do you know that the Eagles have won 5 NFC East titles under Reid?

Do you know that the Eagles have won an NFC Championship under Reid?

BEFORE COACH REID THE EAGLES HAD ONLY WON TWO NFC EAST TITLES IN FRANCHISE HISTORY!

BEFORE COACH REID THE EAGLES HAD ONLY WON ONE NFC TITLE IN FRANCHISE HISTORY!

Yea, let's fire him and hire someone else and roll the dice and hope he doesn't turn out like Ray Rhodes or Rich Kotite.

The people who want to fire Reid are the same idiots who want Kevin Kolb as their QB when McNabb has one bad game.

Stop looking at one or two games and look at the big picture.

[Kulp]

DL, as the only sensible person here, you ought to be better at reading comprehension (and you should probably also know that Millen wasn't a coach).

I did not say they should outright fire Reid as you indicated in your first comments, but if they miss the playoffs again as a direct result of poor play calling, then yes, he should be fired. I'm giving the guy a chance to turn it around, because we've seen them do it before.

But taking removal off the table is like writing a blank check and handing it to somebody. At what point does his job performance become not good enough? I say it's when they miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons when they have their best team since '04.

Now listen, coaching changes are not synonymous with failure. The Skins are 4-1 with Zorn, the Falcons 3-2 with Mike Smith. There's the famous Dungy-to-Gruden switch for the Bucs. Changing the head coach does not automatically revert the club back to the Kotite era. In fact, with all the young talent on the roster and two first round picks, there is no reason for that to happen. After all, there would still presumably be stability in the front office with Tom Heckert.

But again, it all comes back to where the season goes from here. I haven't quit on them like plenty of other people, I'm also not going to say everything is fine. Coaching has been a problem the last two weeks, and it isn't the first time coaching has been a problem. After 10 years, if coaching is a big enough problem that it's costing the team trips to the playoffs, you have to at least consider making a move.

[JF]

does that make any sense?

[Dubs]

I just wonder how long into the season it will take him to realize that Akers can't kick 45+ yard field goals anymore....

[Driz]

The big picture? How about looking at every other season other than the Super Bowl year? FAILURE TO MEET EXPECTATIONS! More so the past few years. You can't say otherwise because every year we expect to win it all, no?

Look, there is no way we can sit here and say Andy Reid hasn't been the best coach this franchise has ever seen, because he has. But does that give him carte blanche to cost a multitude of games with ineffective playcalling? I don't think so.

There comes a time when a change in philosophy is needed, and to me, this team looks like it needs it. If you are going to sit there and tell me this team hasn't gone stale the past year or 2 I challenge you to prove me wrong.

Talk about career win percentages all you want, as long as we have ringless fingers here in Philly, we're failing to accomplish our goal. If we do miss the playoffs this year, that's 3 of the last 4, and with the talent on this team, something will need to change.

ps. I'm still a McNabb supporter and have always been. So you're generalizations are wrong.

[DL Hunter]

@Kulp
"(and you should probably also know that Millen wasn't a coach)."

Andy Reid: Good GM and Coach
Matt Millen: Terrible GM, hired several bad Coaches.

Does that do it for ya? And don't give bring up Tom Heckert, he works under Reid and would probably leave with him.

Oh, yes, and bringing up the Redskins as an example of how head coaching changes bring good is absurdly absurd. Gibbs, Petitbon, Turner, Robiskie, Schottenheimer, Spurrier, Gibbs, and Zorn have all come (and, except Zorn, gone) while ol' Andy Reid has guided a steady ship.

There's so little likelihood of a change going well, why screw with something that works (or at has show that it CAN work for period)?

Also, as you brought it up, my Critical Reading Scores on the SAT were excellent (780) 2 years ago.

[DL Hunter]

Oh, and to temper my praise, we should probably get a better offensive coordinator to call plays.

[AZTerror]

I will still never understand Andy's displeasure with a QB sneak. ITS LESS THAN ONE FREAKING YARD?! Why go back three yards to go forward one? I played DL in College, and it's so difficult to stop a QB sneak on short yardage if the OL is worth even half a damn. 9 times out of 10, it ends up with a pile, and the QB will get the benefit of the doubt as long as when the pile clears out, the ball is over the line.

JUST FREAKING TRY IT!!! If it doesn't work then so be it, but the arrogant playcalling needs to stop. He gets too damn cute, and for a team architect that likes to build in the trenches he sure doesn't use them like he could.

That all being said, I support Andy Reid as coach 100%, but the playcalling needs a shake up...BADLY!

[MSM]

I'll have to go with Kulp on this one. Though his preview of coming attractions/distractions/coaches is quite premature, the current status of the team lies purely with Andy Reid. Part of the reason not to fire him is monetary, as the team would still owe him about 9 million over the next few years, even if they take away one role or the other.

Since 2004, while the team has, as was pointed out, been redone, some of the failure to make moves can only be laid with Andy. The uppity-ups give him a blank check to not get wide receivers (come on, did you really think D-Jax this year would be so good?) except for the season with T.O., and the failure to use first round picks is just befuddling. This is all Andy's decision, as has been clear from the admins that he has final say on those decisions.

As for play calling, while Marty is the OC, he in no way calls plays. You can watch every game, it is ANDY REID who calls the plays. And he does a generally piss poor job, more and more lately, because other teams have figured his schemes out more and more. If the run does not do anything in the first few series, he completely abandons it for the passing game, which makes the team very one-dimensional. By the second half, the team scores less (they are one of the poorest teams in the past two years in second half points) because the opposing defense has had time to adapt at the half to whatever has been called.

The past two games only further exposed this on close goal-line stands where the calls were pretty much the same, every play. Everyone in the stadium and audience knew that a run was coming, that no bootleg was going to be called, that a pass was not going to run. In the end, Andy suffers from being predictable because he really drinks the Kool-Aid and believes that no other coach is going to figure it out. Then it doesn't work, and his pedantic vanilla press conferences just insult the fans even more. He admits responsibility, but "won't discuss it further" and then nothing ever changes.

Basically, if they don't make the playoffs this year (and I honestly think in this division they won't, because everyone else has gotten better and is likely superior) then Andy needs to either go, or lose his GM position at the very least.

I am, as was also stated before, aware that he is the most winning coach in Eagles history. He also has the most losses, however. More these last few years. He still has not gotten the Super Bowl win, either. While he's been good, he hasn't finished the goal.

Oh, and DL Hunter, I think asserting Andy as a "good GM" is pushing it.....though I agree he's a good coach, at least in some aspects. You state your view well but the GM point isn't really supported by anyone and I think most of us know a lot of his picks have gone nowhere or he's questionably traded them away. And stating your decent SAT scores isn't going to affect your credibility either way (at least with me), just to note.

[Tartan69]

I'm not an Eagles fan, but I can tell you that firing Andy Reid at this point would be MORONIC.

And no offense Kulp, but the fact that it's even being talked about shows the bizarre mindset of Eagles fans and how they've built unrealistic expectations and attitudes about this team unlike any of the other teams in this town.

If the Phillies were only second-guessed this much...

[Kulp]

MSM, about Reid's contract, you're absolutely right, Lurie will never fire him with that much money owed on his deal. Based on that revelation, it's probably safe to assume Reid has at least one more year barring a complete meltdown.

Tartan, no offense taken, but what is unrealistic about our expectations? We're talking about making the playoffs. When did Philly fans become content with playing in January once every four years?

[hocuspocus]

hi everybody, i started the fire andy reid petition because i have lost faith in his ability to lead this team to a championship. i don't care if our winning percentage with andy reid the last 10 years was 90%, the point is to win when it counts and andy reid has continuously proven he cannot do this. i want to win a championship. i would think that eventually most people would get tired of winning a lot of games but never winning a championship. the purpose of the petition is to give frustrated fans an opportunity to voice themselves. i doubt andy will be replaced anytime soon and i know it is an arduous task to replace a head coach and is usually not a good idea to do it mid-season. but this is as good a time as any to start petitioning our concerns and desires about andy reid being our head coach. http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fire-andy-reid.html

[will]

the phillie fanatic is available

[stvdog]

As a looooooooooooooooooooooong suffering Lions fan, I would take Andy Reid in a heartbeat.

Did I mention LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG suffering?

sdm

[Tartan69]

Kulp, the unrealistic aspect is that you've lost 3 close games and all of a sudden you're talking about firing the most successful coach in team history. Meanwhile he beat one of the best teams in the AFC this season, and two of the losses were to very good division rivals. IMO he deserves at least one if not two more below-500 seasons before getting the can.

Coaching stability is one of the more underrated aspects of success in the NFL.

[DL Hunter]

@MSM
"And stating your decent SAT scores isn't going to affect your credibility either way (at least with me), just to note."

Yea I agree, the SAT scores are weak indicators of actual intelligence anyway. It was a snarky response to Kulp saying my "reading comprehension" was poor, so I countered with solid "critical reading" scores.

That said, Reid's made a good team somehow most years so I don't think hes anything less than solid (its been argued that we have so much cap room and no #1 receiver because Lurie doesn't want to spend the money).

[Zack]

@Tartan

he did not beat the Steelers

Jim Johnson beat the Steelers with the defense...the offense hardly did anything

[PotsnPans]

This is a bit premature given that we're only headed into week 6. I think everyone is just frustrated with the last loss. If the Eagles come out and win the next 2 games, everyone will be happy again.

This reminds me of my mom watching football. If the birds are losing after the 1st quarter, she thinks the game is over. The season has really just begun. Yes, the Eagles are in a hole, but give them a chance to bounce back (as Kulp said he would).

That being said, if the Eagles DO miss the playoffs this year you absolutely have to question Reid. He is the best coach this franchise has ever had but this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately kind of league. Missing the playoffs 3 out of 4 years is not acceptable.

[Oz]

The simplest solution would be to remove the GM title from Reid and give it so someone who can actually do it.

[BigMike]

Let's get this straight..Reid will continue to "not meet expectations" unless he guides the Eagles to the Superbowl and wins. Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment..at the beginning of each season what is the overwhelming consensus about our chances on the season? In our hearts we all say what..."we're winning the Superbowl." And i'm guilty of thinking this as well,year after year, but this is not a race gentlemen, it's a marathon. Remember last year when DMac started off slow coming back from his knee injury? A number of you had enough and want Kolb to take over. I guess you would have to say that we owe it to Big Red to give him an opportunity to right the ship. Also remember Big Red had a pretty tough off-season with his family and I liken that to an injury--a mental one if you will, but we've been in rebuilding mode for the past few seasons and letting Reid go now, while he has maintained a decent record in the rebuilding period, would be a bad move...time is yours...

[Mark]

DL and all the others making sense on this topic:

Thank you. Only 1 team wins the SB each year. Fans have become so spoiled with the success that has accompanied Andy that they've detached themselves from the causal relationship between the two. Firing a coach who made the team one of the NFL's best for the first half of the decade, while keeping them at .500 for the past three years while dramatically overhauling the roster, is simply asinine.

You want to roll the dice that the next coach will be better? What if it takes another decade to find a guy who can manage a winning record? Stability is why this franchise has performed well for so long.

Yes, the team should run more, score from the one yardline, etc. But let's face it, none of us know a lick about calling an NFL game and it's laughable that we pretend to. The things that infuriate us about Andy we don't even notice when they win. A few failed blocking assignments cost us the past two weeks a lot more than playcalling. Not saying the dude doesn't bother me at times, but I'm not so arrogant to think I can sit on my couch and pretend I could do a better job. This city is full of wannable analysts and it's baffling how easily passion is confused with knowledge of the game.

And to the Superbowl or bust crowd; get bent. Seriously, you are the idiots still pining for the Buddy Ryan days even though that loser couldn't get them past a wild card game. Be grateful that you have a coach who can get you in the top-8 or so every year and be patient that he'll break through sooner rather than later.

A final note to my rant: Talk to your friends who are fans of other teams. See the incredulousness in their eyes when you take about firing Reid. Also, see how excited they get on the occassions when they beat the Birds. It's because it's unexpected and in recognition that they knocked off a good team. I live in DC and they're going nuts, not just because of the fast start, but because they think they may finally have a squad that can challenge the traditional powers.

[zfg]

He shouldn't necessarily be fired if the Eagles don't make the playoffs this year, but he and the rest of the coaching staff needs to know that a shake up will be coming. He does deserve a chance to atone for his mistakes by doing a better job the rest of the season, but he shouldn't get getting a free pass because of past seasons. I'm pretty sure most of us couldn't give our bosses the excuse "well, I did a good job 3 years ago, and I'm not thaaaaaat bad now..." (not to mention that the NFC East, and the NFC in general were much weaker back then). I don't think the stated goal of the Eagles organization is to make it to a handful of NFC title games.

The big problem I see is in his play calling. When McNabb went down and Jeff Garcia took over, Mornhinweg called the plays, and the running game was used a lot more. Interestingly enough, the Eagles actually WON some close games and made it to the playoffs.

Either Reid needs to change his play calling, or hand over the responsibilities. We can't abandon the run in the first quarter, regardless of how healthy Westbrook is, and we can't let keep letting opportunities for wins slip away. This team has some big name, big contract players who aren't getting any younger, and everybody in the organization needs to understand that a .500 season isn't going to cut it.

I've always liked Andy Reid and I do hope he manages to turn this season around. That doesn't mean he needs to win (or even make it to) the Super Bowl to keep his job, but he can't keep racking up losses in this fashion.