The Philadelphia Eagles waited a few weeks to find a head coach in Chip Kelly. After that, the Eagles waited another few weeks to finalize Kelly’s coaching staff, and wouldn’t introduce any of them until they were all hired. But with the final pieces of the puzzle set, Philadelphia will finally meet the rest of its new coaches on Feb. 11.
According to MyFoxPhilly on Feb. 8, the Eagles will officially announce Kelly’s staff in a press conference on Feb. 11. They were able to complete the process by hiring Billy Davis as defensive coordinator, along with Alabama’s Jeff Stoutland as offensive line coach.
The likes of new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur have waited several days to be introduced. However, they have had more than enough time to start their work and get the ball rolling. Once everything has been finalized, 21 assistants in all will come together to work for Kelly.
Only running backs coach Duce Staley and tight ends coach Ted Williams survived the overhaul, according to The Morning Call. Other than them, the Eagles have new coaches from top to bottom, with many of them lacking in NFL experience -- including Kelly.
After 14 years with Andy Reid, Philadelphia made a conscious effort to bring in new blood and youth, with only four coaches over 50 years old. However, there are a few familiar names, as Shurmur served as the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach during the Donovan McNabb era, while Davis was a ball boy for the team in the 1970’s under Dick Vermeil.
None of these coaches will get the hype and attention that Kelly got when he first arrived in Philadelphia. But while Kelly has the biggest bulls-eye on his back, and will pay the price if his first hires do not pan out, figures like Shurmur, Davis, Stoutland, special teams coach Dave Fipp and quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor will have a lot to prove.
The Eagles needed an overhaul in overall leadership by hiring Kelly, but the offense, defense, offensive line, special teams and quarterbacks are in desperate need of a shakeup. Shurmur, Davis, Stoutland, Fipp and Lazor can provide that and make life much easier for Kelly. If they do, then their introductory press conference will look more like a milestone down the line.
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