The Jawn on Eagles Coaching Candidates

Yo, how many candidates have been mentioned for the Eagles’ Head Coach vacancy? It’s dizzying. That’s why it’s time for the jawn on the Eagles coaching candidates.

There may be more coaching candidates than Republicans running for President. Speaking of which, don’t you wish hiring a new coach was like a public election? We’d have a debate with all the candidates and then a Philly election. That’s an ideal world. In the real world, we have to sit and wait patiently for the Eagles search committee to privately interview candidates and trust them to make the right decision. How’d that work out last time? (See here)

Without further adieu, here’s the jawn on the list of reported possible candidates:

ADAM GASE – BEARS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
The NFL is high on Gase. We’ve been lukewarm on him in Jawnville. Yeah, he had success with Peyton Manning. Marion Campbell could have success with Peyton Manning. Yeah, Jay Cutler has improved under Gase, but were they lights out? Yes, the Bears had injuries, but nowhere near the decimation of the Ravens roster. The Ravens ended up putting up more yards this year.

I always respect the opinions of @PHSportsGoddess so when she was high on Gase, I dug deeper.

He’s been coaching and scouting since high school, breaking down tapes and logging team tendencies. I respect John Fox and he thought highly enough of Gase to make him the Broncos O-Coordinator at 34 years old.

He was the only Sparty staff member who Saban brought with him to LSU. That speaks volumes. Peyton Manning also says, “he’s [Gase] is the smartest guy I know.” Martz agrees, too.

Gase is a selection that you probably can’t argue with after the high praise by individuals who have achieved great football success combined with his coaching success.

He hasn’t played in college or the NFL. His name will cause mass confusion. Some will pronounce it GACE, some GAZE, and some GAYS. If things go bad, that latter pronunciation could make for an ugly Linc.

DOUG PEDERSON – CHIEFS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Are you kidding me? How did we get here? Big Red continuing to meddle in the Philadelphia Eagles affairs? C’mon. This hire would be a complete disconnect from the Philadelphia Eagles fans. Lurie spoke about wanting a coach that would connect with the players and employees? How about giving us a coach that connects to the fans? This guy doesn’t even call the plays as Offensive Coordinator, does he? In his first year as coordinator, the Chiefs offensive ranked 27th!!!

This is the safe pick that will never challenge Howie Roseman. He’d be a yes man who is just happy to have a head coaching job.

I don’t want to hear about the Jamaal Charles injury. Every team gets injuries. That doesn’t mean you finish 27th in offense–see Gase.

Unfortunately, we know all too well that Dougie played in the NFL.

SEAN MCDERMOTT – PANTHER DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Eagles pretty much been there and done that and then made him a scapegoat. However, what’s not to like. We are a defensive-minded city. Who are our favorite players? They’re Trotter, Dawkins, Reggie, Jerome, Wes, etc.

He’s a Philly kid and he’s had considerable success with the Panthers defense. He wants the gig, unless he’s using Philly radio to raise his stock/price. Oh, he’s a Jim Johnson pupil.

He looks like Ron Howard, which kind of makes it an uphill battle to be a team leader, but he seems to be capable.

On the down side, the track record of ginger NFL coaches isn’t great, see Jason Garrett.

BEN MCADOO – GIANTS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
I want to hate him because he’s a Giant, but I can’t. Even Eagles fans can see how Eli has improved over the last couple of seasons. In both seasons as the Giants coordinator, the offense has finished in the top 10.

He’s got a Super Bowl ring by being the Packer QB coach. Wait, wasn’t Andy Reid a Packers QB coach? Eh!

I’m torn. He’s from Homer City, PA, which I know quite well from my days at Indiana University of PA (IUP). It’s a boring little town full of “townies”. Do I really want a townie as the Eagles head coach? I guess my IUP loyalty overrides my Homer City bias. I wouldn’t be as pissed as a Pederson hiring.

Also never played college or pro ball.

HUE JACKSON – BENGALS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
If this was 2010, I’d be all over Hue. That’s when he turned the 31st ranked Raiders offense into the 10th best. He did one year as head coach of the Raiders before being fired by a new GM. He probably deserved another shot after going 8-8.

His time with the Bengals hasn’t been too impressive with their offense finishing in the middle of the pack for the past two years under his play-calling.

He played QB at Pacific.

I think I’m against Hue because of Larry David. I can’t get his F**k Hugh outta my head every time I hear the name Hue Jackson.

TERYL AUSTIN – LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Austin is PA guy, born in Sharon, PA. I like the mentality of the Lions defense. They struggled this year, but expected so since they were relying on a bunch of young starters. They were ranked 18th in defense this year and 2nd last year under his play-calling.

Austin has been around winners. He was good enough to be Urban Meyer’s D-Coordinator at Florida. He went to the Super Bowl as DB coach with the Cardinals. He won a Super Bowl as Secondary Coach with the Ravens. He spent 3 years with the Ravens and who didn’t envy the Ravens attitude on defense.

I’d be down with Austin.

He was also a 3 year starter at Pitt.

DOUG MARRONE – JAGUARS OFFENSIVE LINE COACH
Q-U-I-T-T-E-R.
Enough said. This dude quit as head coach on his alma mater Syracuse and then quit on the Bills.

NO THANKS.

DIRK KOETTER – BUCCANEERS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Didn’t the Eagles interview this guy in 2013? If he wasn’t good enough then, he’s not good enough now. Yeah, Matt Ryan and that offense looked okay while he was there before joining Tampa Bay. However, I’m not looking for a head coach with Jacksonville, Atlanta and Tampa Bay as his last three stops.

Is that Steve Spurrier’s brother?

Dirk played QB at Idaho State.

If Larry David ruined Hue Jackson for me, then Horshack ruined Koetter for me–in addition to his previous stops.

MATT PATRICIA – PATRIOTS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Patricia? Just kidding. I don’t trust any of Belichick’s assistants. The Patriots succeed because of Brady and Belichick. How have the other Belichick assistants done as head coaches? McDaniels, Mangini, Crennel, Weis? Say no more.

Pass.

He was an O lineman at  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

SEAN PAYTON – SAINTS HEAD COACH [UPDATE: NOT AVAILABLE FROM SAINTS]
Yes, please!

Payton is a sharp guy. I realize that no coach has won Super Bowls with two different teams. I’d take the risk.

Eagles have no chance. They don’t have the 2nd round pick needed for compensation and he’d never answer to Howie Roseman. He might have too much intensity for Lurie, too.

DUCE STALEY – EAGLES RUNNING BACKS COACH
I love Duce, but he’s not ready. The Running Backs were a source of frustration all season long.

It might be time to cut Duce loose to spread his wings and grow with another organization outside of the shadows of his Eagles relationships.

Maybe the Eagles interviewed him to fulfil the Rooney Rule requirement. But, interviewing him for a head coach position also helps to build Duce’s resume.

PAT SHURMUR – EAGLES OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
I don’t really know what Shurmur did with the Eagles. Like Doug Pederson, he didn’t call plays. That was on Chip.

I think I speak for the rest of the Eagles fans in saying No, Thanks! I don’t care if that means losing Bradford. This is a guy that might cause me to take a hiatus from Eagles watching…him or Pederson.

That’s the exhaustive list so far. I’d like to add one more name. This is the Jawnville pick for Head Coach and cannot understand why his name isn’t being circulated.

JAMES BETTCHER – CARDINALS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
For the life of me, I can’t understand how anyone can watch the performance of the Arizona Cardinals defense and not talk about Bettcher. He’s only 37, but so is Adam Gase. I know he’s only been a coordinator for one year, but so was Mike Tomlin when he was hired.

Bettcher took a good Todd Bowles led defense which ranked 14th and turned it into the 5th ranked defense in the NFL.

His players love him, as depicted in the photo above. A sign hangs in the Cardinals defensive meeting room which depicts Bettcher’s philosphy: Relentless Effort, Communication, Technique.

Bruce Arians is a football lifer and Bettcher is one of the few people he poached from the Colts staff. Arians described Bettcher as a “shooting star” at his introductory press conference.

FOX Sports did a piece of Bettcher that included the following Arians quote:

“He’s very bright, knows the defenses, extremely articulate with the players, commands a room with the players…”I always go back to John Abraham and Robert Mathis, two Pro Bowl veteran players who thought he helped them get better. That’s all you can do as a position coach. But he had the insight to become a coordinator.”

He sounds like everything that Lurie laid out in the press conference. He’s a teacher that relates to his players and he’s been extremely successful this year.

Bettcher has the Jawnville endorsement. Check out this video introducing Bettcher to the Cardinals fans.