Now, that the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator is out of the playoffs, the Eagles are free to hire him as their head coach, which should happen in the next few days.
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This puts the Eagles at a disadvantage, especially because this is Pederson’s first time as a head coach. “No further interviews are scheduled”. Both coaches accepted jobs with other teams, prior to the Eagles’ decision to go with Pederson. The Eagles’ interest in Pederson stems from his relationship with Andy Reid.
Earlier in the day, the Eagles’ head coaching search that began with a bang seemed to have ground to a halt. Owner Jeffrey Lurie was looking to rebuild a fractured locker room reeling from defeat and uncertainty.
The Eagles also were interested in Dirk Koetter, the offensive coordinator who Thursday became head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After three years with Kelly, who brought new ideas and procedures to the National Football League from the college game, Lurie interviewed Pederson, Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and running backs coach Duce Staley.
As a player, Pederson was the backup to Brett Favre when Favre won three straight MVP awards from 1995-97.
This season, Reid, who declined to comment about Pederson after the loss, has turned over some of the play-calling duties to his understudy.
Coughlin, during his tour as wide receivers coach of the Eagles helped develop Mike Quick, one of the team’s all-time great receivers. Played quarterback for the Eagles in 1999? The key to the plan was drafting a franchise quarterback. In that role, Pederson was essentially in his first coaching job.
A West Coast offense adherent, Pederson recently outlined his preference for a quarterback of Smith’s skill set.
Pederson coached the Eagles from 2009-12, completing the tour as quarterbacks coach. McNabb became the starter by mid-November, and the Eagles released Pederson after the season. McNabb, with Pederson’s help, moved into the starting job before the end of the season.
Pederson learned under Reid for all seven years he has been a coach in the National Football League, and four of those years were in Philly. From there, Pederson rejoined Reid as a quality control coach on the Eagles’ staff. Pederson spent two years in that role, then was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2011. He has a friend there in senior consultant Tom Gamble, previously fired by the Eagles.
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Childress, who was Pederson’s position coach in 1999, reunited with Reid and Pederson when he was hired to be the Chiefs’ spread game analyst in 2013.
