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Tim McManus, ESPN Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA — During his end-of-season news conference in late January, Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni signaled his job responsibilities were shifting.
When speaking about the vacant offensive coordinator post, he said he was looking for someone that could be “in charge” of that side of the ball. Up until that point during his three-year tenure, Sirianni had made it clear that what the Eagles were running was his offense, even when the playcalling duties were delegated to then-offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and his successor Brian Johnson.
The language changed on the heels of a 1-6 collapse down the stretch last season. He instead referred to it as “our scheme” and suggested he would focus on the offense less and maintaining the culture and overseeing the entire operation more.
The subsequent hiring of Kellen Moore, an experienced coordinator who has drawn some head-coaching interest around the league (including from the Eagles during the 2021 search that ultimately led them to Sirianni) supports the idea that Sirianni is taking a step back from running an attack that grew “stale” last season by his own admission.
That thrusts Sirianni, 42, into more of a CEO head-coaching role. The question now becomes: Will it work?
The structure itself is not unique. There are multiple teams successfully using this model, including the Baltimore Ravens (John Harbaugh) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Mike Tomlin).
It is against the norm but not uncommon among offensive-minded head coaches: Of the 18 head coaches with offensive backgrounds, Sirianni is now one of four who does not call plays. Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions, Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Brian Daboll of the New York Giants are the others, according to a list compiled by ESPN’s Mike Clay. The Los Angeles Chargers‘ new coach Jim Harbaugh could become a fifth.
The more over-arching approach is one Sirianni can thrive in, according to center Jason Kelce.
“Nick — and I really mean this — is one of the best coaches I’ve been around when talking about coaching situational ball. Really understanding what to do in the right moment. Motivating guys. We coach things up in team meetings and hold people accountable better than pretty much any other coach that I’ve been around,” he said on his “New Heights” podcast.
Eagles players surveyed toward the end of the season, even amid their freefall, struck a similar tone. Veteran safety Kevin Byard described Sirianni as a mix between two of his past coaches with the Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel and Mike Mularkey, someone who has “a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence,” allows his “leaders to lead” and excels at connecting with players.
Tight end Dallas Goedert called “respect” the number one thing NFL players want from their head coach, and said Sirianni shows that in part by detailing each person’s role on the team prior to the start of the season, from the star players to the 53rd man on the roster.
Players appreciate the way he covers for their miscues publicly and details his own shortcomings first during film review sessions before pointing out their mistakes on a given play.
“For me, we grew together through that whole first year when he was getting destroyed [following a shaky introductory press conference and a 2-5 start],” said left tackle Jordan Mailata. “It was something that we all stuck by him and believed in the process. Next year he took us to the Super Bowl. Three years with Nick now, we spend a lot of time in here. You’re able to see the character of the person and Nick is one of the best people that I’ve seen, that I’ve ever met.”
The Eagles are banking that Sirianni, now flanked by Moore and seasoned defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, can get the ship righted and lead the team to a fourth playoff appearance in as many seasons.
Questions linger, however, including why Sirianni wasn’t able to stabilize the team last season after adversity struck. The Eagles started out 10-1 before the bottom fell out. A pair of losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys appeared to rattle the foundation and bring lingering frustrations to the surface. Sideline spats carried over to tension in the locker room, where team sources said disagreements occasionally devolved into finger-pointing.
The decision to demote defensive coordinator Sean Desai and elevate Matt Patricia as playcaller in mid-December — a move Sirianni says he made on his own — played a major part in the slide, turning an erratic defense into a liability.
A disconnect in the visions of Sirianni, Johnson and quarterback Jalen Hurts, meanwhile, affected the offense’s ability to land on an identity, a source said.
Will Sirianni be on the same page with the franchise quarterback moving forward? Does the fiery Sirianni, who’s known to have an emotional sideline demeanor, have the right temperament to be a “CEO” coach?
Many of the questions surrounding this set-up won’t be answered until challenges arise during the 2024 season. But there’s hope Sirianni will find a way to make it work.
“Players love him. They’ll play hard for him,” Kelce said. “I know it was a really s—ty year for us. But I think Nick has a lot to bring as value as the head coach and the organizational leadership he provides for the team.”
