While the Philadelphia Eagles continue to search for the head coach, we will cover each legitimate candidate individually, while leaving this page to serve as a centralized tracker.
It should be noted that the Eagles are likely to interview a lot of candidates, seeing that they will be partially guided by Zoom meetings and can be executed without the need for travel. In other words, the expectation here is that this tracker will be populated with a lot of names and there will be a lot of updates. Bookmark, please.
Latest updates at the top of this list:
Jerod Mayo, coach of the Patriots defenders
As a coach, Mayo has only two years of experience. His official title was “backback coach”, which doesn’t sound like much, but his role was bigger than that title would indicate. The Patriots do not have an official “defensive coordinator” in their team. Mayo and outfielders coach Steve Belichick was one of Bill Belichick’s first two defensive assistants. It should also be noted that Brian Flores was “only” the Patriots’ linebacker when the Miami Dolphins hired him to be their head coach in 2019.
Mayo was considered a fierce leader and an extremely smart player on the field in his playing days and, at just 34, is clearly considered a young elevator as an NFL coach. However, it is probably too early for Mayo to make a huge leap to head coach at such a young age and with only two years of coaching experience.
More about Mayo here.
Mike Kafka, head coach of QB
Eagles they seem to have an interest in Kafka. We will address it in more depth if / when a report appears that the Eagles intend to interview him.
Todd Bowles, Buccaneers DC
Bowles was with the Eagles for a season and even served as the defensive coordinator to close out the disastrous 2012 season after the team fired Juan Castillo.
In particular, Bowles received a head coaching concert with the Jets, which lasted four years and did not go well. The Jets were actually 10-6 under the Bowles in 2015 with Fitzpatrick at the helm in his first season there. However, he eventually compiled a 24-40 record with the Jets, winning just 14 games in three years. In fact, in addition to Fitzpatrick, his defenders were Josh McCown, Bryce Petty and Sam Darnold, starting with the debut year, in addition to a bad list.
As a defensive coordinator, Bowles did well. In 2020, the Buccaneers had the best defense in the NFL. They were number 1 in opposing rush attempts, rushing yards, TD rushing and rush yards. In this sense, his “stop the run first” defense style is similar to the approach we have seen over the years from Jim Schwartz.
More about Bowles here.
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Robert Saleh, 49, DC
Saleh would probably already be the head coach, if not for a coaching job a year ago that worked against him. He was a hot name, but because the 49ers went to the Super Bowl and because there were only three head coach openings, he had to wait a year.
The Niners defense was remarkable in 2019, and Saleh kept that unit playing at a high level (sixth in the DVOA) in 2020, despite suffering an abnormal number of injuries at all three levels of defense. Saleh is known for his demonstrative emotion on the sidelines during games, to which his players seem to respond.
If Saleh gets a head coaching job, he is expected to bring with him Niners offensive assistants, who will install a much-lauded version of Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
More about Saleh here.
Arthur Smith, Titans OC
Smith has been with the Titans since 2011, surviving three layoffs as head coach. He has been their offensive coordinator since 2019. With a head coach with a defensive stance in Mike Vrabel, Smith was given the opportunity to lead the show offensively for Tennessee, and in the two years he was their offensive coordinator, the Titans they felt good results. In 2020, they were second in the NFL in points and fourth in yards.
Of course, Derrick Henry gets most of the credit for provoking the Titans offense (and rightly so), but Smith’s offense also helped turn Ryan Tannehill into a legitimately good NFL starting quarterback.
More about Smith here.
Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma HC
Riley is without a doubt the best candidate for coach in college, having amassed a 45-8 record in Oklahoma, while developing a pair of No. 1 defenders and Heisman winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. . Riley also coached Jalen Hurts for a year, and Hurts finished that season second in the Heisman vote.
Riley is thought of as an innovative offensive mind, obviously in the passing game, but also in the running game, whose schemes have been stolen by many NFL offenses. Do Riley’s offenses succeed because of his scheme or because he managed to develop the talents of his defenders? Either way, he is a winner in that debate.
More about Riley here.
Update: Paul Domowitch of the Inquirer reports that Riley “seems happy to stay where he is for now.”
Duce Staley, Eagles HC assistant, RB coach
Jeffrey Lurie said Monday during his press conference that Staley will receive a blow.
“I would expect Duke Staley to be a candidate,” Lurie said. “He’s a great representative of the Eagles and he knows our values. I would expect him to be part of the search as well.”
Unlike the other candidates on this list, Staley has no coordinator or experienced head coach, however, he has the mental and leadership skills to oversee a list. If Staley becomes head coach, the Eagles would likely seek to associate him with an offensive coordinator who appeals to the game.
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