Updated List Of Eagles Coaching Candidates

Now that we’re three days into the process, here’s an updated list of potential Eagles coaching targets.

Chip Kelly – Head Coach, University of Oregon

The latest: Several reports suggest the Eagles have Kelly on their short list, but they’re going to have competition. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com suggests Jeffrey Lurie could be in a battle with Joe Banner for Kelly’s services. Two high-ranking NFL executives tell Adam Caplan that Kelly is the clear-cut No. 1 choice for the Browns. Kelly’s Oregon Ducks take on Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday. After that game, look for teams to move aggressively to interview him.

Bill O’Brien – Penn State head coach

The latest: He’s another college coach drawing quite a bit of interest. According to David Jones of the Harrisburg Patriot-News, the Eagles, Browns and Cardinals all plan on interviewing O’Brien. There would be issues to work around for teams pursuing O’Brien, including a buyout in his contract with Penn State. But he has plenty of qualities owners and GMs will covet. O’Brien has five years of NFL experience with the Patriots, he led the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record amid difficult circumstances, and he’s held a variety of college assistant jobs. Those who have covered O’Brien closely suggest he’ll shine during the interview process. At this point, it’d be a surprise if the Eagles decided not to give O’Brien a serious look.

Mike McCoy – Offensive coordinator, Denver Broncos

The latest: A source confirmed Wednesday morning that the Eagles plan on meeting with McCoy. They’ll need to get in line. The Broncos offensive coordinator is also drawing interest from the Bears, Bills and Cardinals. What’s there to like about McCoy? He has an excellent track record of maximizing the potential of quarterbacks he’s worked with – like Jake Delhomme, Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow. This year, his job’s been a little bit easier with Peyton Manning. The Broncos are second in the NFL in scoring offense. McCoy is only 40-years-old and is the kind of coach Lurie might envision leading the franchise for several years to come.

Jon Gruden – ESPN analyst

The latest: As always, his situation is fluid. It looks like Gruden might have put some feelers out but ended up unable to find a fit – either because of his demands or lack of team interest. His name had been in rumors at the beginning of the week, but Dan Pompei of the National Football Post reported yesterday that Gruden is leaning towards staying at ESPN. Either way, I’m not ready to rule him out completely just yet.

Doug Marrone – Syracuse head coach

The latest: According to an Inquirer report, Marrone is one of the candidates the Eagles are expected to target. Like O’Brien, he has NFL experience in addition to having been a college head coach. Marrone was the Saints offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008. And he coached the Jets offensive line from 2002 to 2005.

Mike Nolan – Falcons defensive coordinator

The latest: The Eagles were scheduled to interview him today. Tim talked to Dan Reeves about Nolan’s credentials and his desire for a second chance. There’s no doubt that Nolan is a respected defensive coordinator, but he went just 18-37 in three-plus seasons with the 49ers. That history will be tough to sell to a frustrated fan base. Then again, Lurie said the Eagles are going to make the right choice, even if it’s not the most popular one. No other team has been linked to Nolan.

Keith Armstrong – Falcons special-teams coordinator

The latest: The Eagles were scheduled to interview him today also. Armstrong has drawn interest from the Bears and Chiefs too. There’s been a lot of talk this offseason about giving special-teams coaches a look. Armstrong played his college ball at Temple and is a Levittown native. Given some of the coaches he’s up against, Armstrong would likely have to knock the interview with Lurie out of the park.

Greg Roman – Offensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers

What you need to know: I’m a bit surprised he has not had any interviews (or at least any interviews leaked). Like the Broncos and Falcons, the 49ers have a first-round bye, meaning Roman is free to talk to interested teams this week. I’m not ready to rule him out yet since we’re so early in the process.

The following candidates cannot interview this week because their current teams have games this weekend. All were on our original list (which contains information on each candidate).

Jay Gruden – Offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals

Gus Bradley – Defensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks

Darrell Bevell – Offensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks

Mike Zimmer – Defensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals

Ben McAdoo – Packers quarterbacks coach

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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