The Eagles are continuing to bring in every human being who ever played, coached, or watched a football game to interview for the head coaching spot. We may have gotten a later start than the rest of the teams but we're making up for it in volume. I'm not sure how thorough the interview process can be when you're interviewing something like six to ten guys a day, but whatever.
By the way, anyone looking to hire Doug Pederson should know that he's now reportedly planning to take a full year off to decompress. Check back this time next year to see where he ends up. It's not a good sign for any potential incoming coach to know that Doug needs a year off to recover from the experience he had in five years here. The good news for Doug is the Eagles are still paying him through 2022. His deciding to opt-out for a year made him untradeable so the Eagles lost that opportunity. He can still opt to coach a team if he decides to though, but the Eagles lost all negotiating leverage when he said he was taking a year off.
Robert Saleh was considered a top contender in Philly, but judging from his appearance he doesn't strike me as the type to let a couple of fantasy football guys (Lurie/Roseman) set his roster and hire his staff. He's more the type to go into their offices swinging a large club and getting his way after throwing those two around a bit. Somehow I don't think that's the kind of coach our two nerdish owners want bullying them into doing the right thing. They're looking more for a lapdog coach than a pit bull. Saleh is more of a pit bull.
Here's the more or less complete list of people they've interviewed, plan to interview, hope to interview, or think are stupid enough to take the job. Robert Saleh, Joe Brady, Mike Kafka, Jerod Mayo, Arthur Smith, Todd Bowles, Brian Daboll, Ryan Day, Duce Staley, Lincoln Riley, Luke Fickell, Eric Bieniemy, Brandon Staley, Greg Roman, Nathaniel Hackett, Dave Toub, Josh McDaniels (God help us!), Byron Leftwich, and Matt Campbell. (Oddly, no Jason Garrett. He's a known head coach who's only had one losing season and is used to being a puppet for a power-mad owner/GM. You'd think he'd be right up their alley.)
Sometime before September they'll announce who the new head coach is and will swear he was the best person they interviewed and they were just blown away by him. They'll insist they would have taken him over everyone else who was hired by everyone else.
I have a suspicion the interview process goes something like this.
"Would you like to catch our team?"
"Yes." Checkmark.
"Do you think we're the best owner and GM in the league?"
"Yes." Checkmark.
"Are you willing to let us pick your coaches and set the roster?"
"Yes." Checkmark.
"Are you willing to coach for half the salary of everyone else we've interviewed?"
"Sure." Checkmark.
"Are you willing to face the media and take all of the blame for our bad decisions?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Checkmark.
"Well, that wraps up all of the questions, and congratulations! You're the new head coach."
I don't have a good feeling about this situation. Oh well, what's the worst that could happen? It's not like we could hire Mike McCarthy. I probably shouldn't give them that idea. They may offer the Cowboys our whole draft to trade for McCarthy.
My money would be on someone with an Eagles connection which would make Duce Staley, Mike Kafka, Todd Bowles, or Lincoln Riley the favorites. I don't think they'll pay Lincoln Riley what it would take to lure him away from Oklahoma. Mike Kafka as a former QB and Andy Reid protege might be pretty high on the list, but he's likely had chats with Doug about things and may not want the job. Todd Bowles was just here for one year as secondary coach and then thrust into the defensive coordinator slot when our dynamic duo of Lurie/Roseman decided to fire the original DC midway through the season. I'm not sure how fond he is of the Eagels as a result of that. So, that leaves Duce Staley. The players love him. He's been in Philly forever. His only real negative is that he likes to run the ball and Lurie/Roseman like to pass the ball. I suspect Duce will get the job. We'll find out sometime between now and September.
Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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