Patient Eagles refuse to panic as search continues

For the Philadelphia Eagles, choosing a new coach is a patient process. General manager Howie Roseman said Wednesday the team isn't in a rush to replace Andy Reid, who was fired a day after the Eagles finished 4-12 and last in the NFC East. Roseman, owner Jeffrey Lurie and president Don Smolenski have already interviewed five candidates, plan to meet with former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith on Thursday and have permission to speak to three others. ''Jeffrey has been very adamant with us that the key is getting the right guy,'' Roseman said in an interview on the team's Web site. ''The key isn't getting the right guy as quickly as possible, so that's what we're going to do.'' Last week, the Eagles interviewed Atlanta assistants Mike Nolan and Keith Armstrong and Penn State's Bill O'Brien and Oregon's Chip Kelly. O'Brien and Kelly chose to remain at their schools. They met Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy on Sunday and plan to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. Two other candidates dropped out of consideration. Atlanta offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter signed a contract extension to stay with the Falcons. Syracuse coach Doug Marrone replaced Chan Gailey in Buffalo. ''This whole organization is built to support a head coach and they know that - not only in actions but in words - and all they have to do is call Andy Reid,'' Roseman said. ''It's been a positive experience.'' The interview with Kelly last Saturday lasted for several hours, fueling speculation that he was going to take the job. But Kelly, who also was pursued by Cleveland, opted for the second straight year to pass up the NFL. He turned down Tampa Bay last year. What do they discuss in meetings with candidates? ''Everything, every aspect of the organization, how they run meetings, how they run training camp, what they're looking for in players, what they're looking for in coaches,'' Roseman said. ''You have to have a plan and know what you are doing in every area.'' This is the third time Lurie is hiring a new coach since he bought the team from Norman Braman in 1994. He hired Ray Rhodes on Feb. 2, 1995, after a long, exhaustive search that included a flirtation with former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Lurie needed less time to hire Reid, giving him the job on Jan. 11, 1999. --- Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobMaaddi --- Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL