Nick Sirianni - Head Coach

ice grillin you · January 25, 2021, 08:11:55 PM

Quote from: MDS on January 25, 2021, 02:17:48 PM
i dont care if they win 100 super bowls with these guys its unbelievable that in 2021 you have an all white coach/coordinator lineup

maybe the STC is black but jesus this is so farging bad

it's way worse than that because they are hiring no name kids...it used to be recycled old white doods getting their tenth job because of "experience" and black people were like how do we get experience if you won't give us a chance to begin with

MDS · January 25, 2021, 10:08:06 PM

not only no name white dudes but his friends, like it fits these terrible patterns that have plagued the nfl (and other businesses) for decades where the boss just staffs up his buddies in high level positions who of course look just like him

like did they even try to hire someone that wasnt in his wedding party? because im sure the most qualified people in the world were all white guys who nick siriani has a text chain with

ice grillin you · January 27, 2021, 09:33:57 AM

Nick Sirianni's ex-QB: Eagles coach has the 'ability to connect with everybody'

If Nick Sirianni requires a reference point for commanding the room with his new team as a 39-year-old rookie coach replacing a Super Bowl winner who played 14 NFL seasons, he can think back to seven years ago.

Sirianni had been promoted to quarterbacks coach by the San Diego Chargers in 2014. He was 32, he had never played in the NFL and he needed to step in for Frank Reich. His starting quarterback, Philip Rivers, was only six months younger than him and had been to five Pro Bowls. His backup quarterback, Kellen Clemens, was two years younger than him and had made 21 starts.

It didn't matter.

"I don't think there's a room that Nick couldn't manage," Clemens said by phone this week.

Clemens played for five teams during 12 NFL seasons, and his last four seasons aligned with Sirianni's time with the Chargers. Clemens has seen his share of good and bad coaches — and he has ideas about what distinguishes the two poles. That's why Clemens, who was surprised by the phone call from the other side of the country inquiring about his former position coach, insisted the Eagles "got the right guy."

"Nick has an ability to connect with everybody," Clemens said. "He does because he cares. And I think that's one of the biggest things that you have to be able to do at that level. You're coaching guys that are in their mid-to-late 30s and you're coaching guys that are in their early 20s. And everybody's at different times in their careers, has different experiences, different expectations, but Nick has the ability to reach everybody, to connect with everybody.

"He's a great motivator. His passion is infectious. When you hear him present, you can't help but get excited — when you hear him speak, when you hear him talk about game plans, things that he likes, what we're trying to do, how we're attacking defenses. You can't help but buy in. Because he's that type of a leader."

What stood out to Clemens was Sirianni's ability to adjust his coaching for each player. Sirianni recognized Rivers' talent and résumé necessitated a certain approach. It would be different in 2015, when he coached a young group of wide receivers. Clemens said Sirianni "managed the room," and that doesn't necessarily require bluster. It required understanding.

"Nick had the ability to treat everybody fair, to treat everybody respectfully, but obviously also not to treat everybody exactly the same," Clemens said.

In the coach-player relationship, respect is a "two-way street," Clemens stressed. Sirianni commanded respect with his work ethic and intelligence, but he also knew how to give respect to the players. That allowed him to nurture relationships.

"I loved playing for Nick Sirianni. Absolutely loved it," Clemens said. "He's incredibly smart. He works really, really hard. He spends time trying to get to know his players — on and off the field. Like, he cares. He genuinely cares about the individual. He values you more than just your ability to contribute on the field.

"But at the same time, even though he is so smart, he's open to suggestions, he's open to feedback, he's always trying to learn and grow. There's no ego with Nick."

The Eagles need Sirianni to ignite a stagnant offense and perhaps fix a quarterback who significantly regressed this season. Rivers didn't miss a game during Sirianni's time with the Chargers and was already far enough along in his career that Sirianni will never be credited for helping to develop him.

Sirianni had three Week 1 starting quarterbacks during his three seasons as the Colts' offensive coordinator, including two who had been accomplished Pro Bowlers. So it would be a stretch to consider Sirianni some kind of quarterback whisperer. But Clemens cautioned against conflating the drilling of quarterback fundamentals with what preparing a quarterback for a game entails. A good quarterbacks coach must know how to mentally prepare a quarterback, and Clemens said Sirianni developed both veterans in San Diego "because of his ability to download and process information."

That leads to questions about how he'll approach the offense. Sirianni doesn't come to Philadelphia with a defined scheme. He's worked for different coaches and in different systems. He hasn't called plays in the NFL. So it's unclear what the Eagles' offensive identity will be under Sirianni.

From Clemens' perspective, this is not a negative. Clemens said a problem with some coaches is they install a scheme based on concepts from previous stops, but the league evolves and roster changes. That's why it's important to hire a coach and not a system, according to Clemens. Sirianni won't need a particular style of quarterback to run a successful offense because he'll be "adapting and adjusting to the circumstances he's in," Clemens said.

"I think one of the things that Nick does that I was really impressed with during our time in San Diego ... is put guys in position to win," Clemens said. "He understands matchups, he understands coverages, he understands protections, he understands the run game — and all of that, all the angles, all the little intricacies that, just to be quite frank, you don't see it from your couch, you don't see it from the press box, you don't. You don't see it, with all due respect. ... There's so much parity in the NFL; the ability to find an advantage, no matter how small, is incredibly valuable and Nick does a great job of doing that on a week-to-week basis. And I think that's one of his strengths (and) what he's gonna do in Philly."

Sirianni will reportedly have Shane Steichen by his side as the offensive coordinator. Steichen also coached the Chargers during Clemens' tenure. In 2016, Sirianni moved to wide receivers coach and Steichen was promoted to quarterbacks coach during a staff reshuffling. Clemens, who went to Oregon and has mentored Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, gave credit to Steichen for how Herbert adjusted to the NFL this season despite having no formal offseason. He believes the relationship between Siranni and Steichen can alleviate the growing pains that often accompany a new coaching staff.

"Great move," Clemens said of hiring Steichen. "They're cut from the same mold — Shane and Nick — when you talk about passion. When you talk about humility, when you talk about just understanding the game at that next level, which not everybody does, but those two do it. They'll be a pretty dynamic duo in Philly as they get going offensively."

It might be ambitious for the Eagles to expect the pairing to work the way it did with Doug Pederson and Reich in 2017, although that's a model the Eagles wouldn't mind recreating. Reich's endorsement of Siranni clearly mattered to the Eagles. Clemens emphasized that Reich brought Sirianni to Indianapolis to join his coaching staff in 2018 and Sirianni learned from Reich.

Even though Clemens was first exposed to Sirianni when the coach was 32 and had only one spent one season as an NFL position coach, he was not surprised by the trajectory that landed Sirianni a head coaching job seven years later.

"Oh yeah, you knew from Day 1 that Nick was a riser. ... Nick, you knew that his trajectory was up — always," Clemens said. "Just because he's a good coach and good coaches rise to the top. They just — they do. So I wasn't surprised when I saw the announcement. Put it that way."

Sirianni has a personality that Philadelphia fans might find endearing. Rivers was renowned for his trash talking.

"Nick is not far behind sometimes," Clemens said.

When wide receiver Keenan Allen burned a cornerback, Sirianni used to let the defender know about it. He exuded passion. But Clemens also spun this characteristic to something bigger: "His players know that he has their back." Clemens said that if he made an error in a preseason game or if something went wrong on the field, Sirianni served as a shield, protecting the player from superiors.

"He was never, ever going to throw me under the bus to make himself look better," Clemens said. "He was the guy who would say, 'No, no, no — that's my fault.'"

That engendered loyalty among the players. Clemens believes that bond is "absolutely critical" for a head coach and can be underappreciated. It's part of the reason Clemens vouched for his former quarterbacks coach this week.

"His ability to connect, and to show respect and value," Clemens said. "He works his tail off, he loves what he's doing and he's damn good at it."

Dave Fipp was announced as the new special teams coordinator for the Detroit Lions on Tuesday, officially ending an eight-year tenure with the Eagles. The Athletic's Bo Wulf first reported on Saturday that the Eagles had granted Fipp permission to talk with other teams.

Fipp was hired by Chip Kelly in 2013 and retained by Doug Pederson in 2016, and he remained in his post throughout Pederson's tenure. Fipp's special-teams units ranked first in DVOA in 2014 and second in 2016. They underachieved (like most of the team) in 2020, finishing 22nd.

"We have a really high standard," Fipp said before the season finale. "I have a high standard for myself and for the things that we get done on special teams. ... It's definitely not been good enough in any area, certainly not mine, that's for sure."

Nonetheless, he's a tough act to follow. Much like the offense and defense, part of the issue was personnel. When Fipp's units were at their best, the Eagles invested in veterans such as Chris Maragos and Bryan Braman for special-teams purposes, and they identified young players such as Trey Burton and Kamu Grugier-Hill to fill major roles. They needed more production from bottom-of-the-roster players this season.

One other way the Eagles can improve on special teams in 2021: Use Jalen Reagor more often on punt returns.

Duce Staley is also expected to join the Lions' coaching staff, according to multiple reports. Staley's career in Philadelphia doesn't require description — he's a revered Eagle who played seven seasons for the team and has been the franchise's longest-tenured coach, initially joining the staff in 2011.

He's a notable loss for the Eagles. Staley, who most recently served as running backs coach and assistant head coach, was respected in the locker room and throughout the organization. That respect didn't lead to a head coaching job in 2016 or this offseason despite interviewing for the position both times. Staley also interviewed for the offensive coordinator job in 2018. The Bears were interested in hiring Staley as offensive coordinator last year, but the Eagles gave him a raise so the request never reached the permission stage.

Nonetheless, the Eagles' unwillingness to promote Staley to head coach in 2016 and 2021 suggests he might be better served advancing his career elsewhere. Staley hasn't interviewed for a head coaching job with another team, so perhaps a change could help his candidacy in future years.

Sirianni is still filling his coaching staff. Jonathan Gannon is the incoming defensive coordinator, Steichen is the incoming offensive coordinator, and the offensive staff will include former Colts passing game specialist Kevin Patullo. (Patullo, 39, was the Jets' quarterbacks coach from 2015 to 2016. He was on Reich's staff in Indianapolis as the wide receivers coach, but changed roles in 2020 to make room for former Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Groh.)

Jeff Stoutland is expected to remain as offensive line coach, which is a major boon for the Eagles. He's been in the role since 2013 and has earned the respect of the Eagles' Pro Bowl trio of Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson. Stoutland has also been critical in the development of Jordan Mailata.

The Eagles are targeting Tracy Rocker for defensive line coach, according to Yahoo Sports. Rocker was recently hired to Auburn's staff and has made his way around the SEC. He's coached at South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss and Arkansas. He was the Titans' defensive line coach from 2011-13, his lone NFL coaching stint. His son, Kumar Rocker, is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft this year.

The Eagles' front office is losing former Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey, who served as a consultant this season. Dorsey is going to Detroit, where he'll have a bigger, more-defined role. Despite outside intrigue that Dorsey's voice could carry more weight in the Eagles organization, his duties aligned with his consultant title. The Eagles have made a number of front-office promotions during the past two seasons, with Andy Weidl, Ian Cunningham, Jeremiah Washburn, Brandon Brown and Alan Wolking all rising to the director level or higher. General manager Howie Roseman discussed relying on the organization's internal pipeline last offseason after Joe Douglas and Andrew Berry left for new jobs, although that was before a four-win campaign.

MDS · January 27, 2021, 01:04:01 PM

brian johnson hired as the qb coach in what is really good move

siriani finally hired someone who isnt his buddy

ice grillin you · January 27, 2021, 01:28:54 PM

after reading numerous profiles of sirianni i thought kyle pitts jumped into the lead at #6
now with this he moves even further ahead imo

Diomedes · January 27, 2021, 04:01:55 PM

https://youtu.be/lwRHkS912ks

Diomedes · January 27, 2021, 04:03:42 PM

also, TE coach will be Jason Michael, from Indy.

Their TEs were a strength so I'm good with this, and you care what I'm good with.

QB Eagles · January 27, 2021, 05:10:15 PM

I don't really see a situation where he's given a 2021 roster that's better than the 2020 one, so if he even achieves 5 wins I'm going to consider the coaching staff a move in the right direction.