Eagles shouldn't replace Andy Reid with a retread coach

College or pro? Offense or defense? An up-and-coming assistant or a been-there-done-that guy with a Super Bowl ring?

Those are the questions facing Eagles owner Jeff Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman as they consider potential replacements for coach Andy Reid, who is expected to be dismissed later this month as soon as this season comes to a merciful end.

I spoke with two NFL front-office executives this week who have been involved with previous head-coaching searches, and asked them to put themselves in Lurie's and Roseman's shoes. I asked them who would be on their short list of candidates right now if they were running the Eagles.

Both picked pro over college. Both preferred an up-and-coming NFL assistant to a retread like Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher or Brian Billick. One was fairly adamant about taking an offensive-minded coach.

The other, while preferring a coach with an offensive background, was a little more willing to also consider some defensive candidates.

I asked each for a list of four candidates. Interestingly, both lists included two of the same names - Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, brother of Jon. One list also included Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements and 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. The other had Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and Bengals defensive lieutenant Mike Zimmer.

"Fans always want the 'name,'" said one of the executives. "They want a guy like (Jon) Gruden or Cowher because they've got that (Super Bowl) ring, even if it was 10 years ago, even if they've been out of coaching for however long.

"The fact is, the track record of guys the second time around isn't all that good. If I'm the Eagles, I'd want a first-time guy. Look at the recent success of first-time guys. Both Harbaughs. Mike Smith. I want a guy who is new and fresh and on everybody's radar. The initial fan reaction might not be as favorable as if I took somebody like Gruden or Cowher, but that's OK.

"You've got to take the guy you think gives you the best chance of winning, not the guy who's going to get you the biggest approval rating."

Which brings us to Nick Foles. You can't win in the NFL without a good quarterback. Let's assume that Foles plays well enough in the remaining four games to give Lurie and Roseman hope that he can be the team's long-term starter.

The next step is to find somebody who can develop the kid. You can hire a defensive coach who then hires an offensive coordinator. Or you can hire a head coach with an offensive background who will be able to be more hands-on with Foles.

"Situations like the ones you have in Philadelphia and Carolina, where you've got young, developing quarterbacks, I think you need an offensive-minded head coach who knows the (quarterback) position," the executive said. "If I'm someplace else, like San Diego, I might be less inclined to go with an offensive-minded guy. I might hire a defensive guy there because you've got a veteran quarterback (Philip Rivers)."

McCoy, Gruden and Clements all are former quarterbacks. McCoy, 40, played at Utah and on the pro level in the CFL and NFL Europe. Gruden, 45, played at Louisville and in the Arena Football League. Clements, 59, played at Notre Dame and in both the CFL and NFL.

"I wasn't a big McCoy fan until last year when he figured out a way to make (Tim) Tebow successful," one executive said. "Anybody who can do that has some offensive creativity. Now's he's working with Peyton (Manning). He's played the position. I think he would have a positive effect on Foles."

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/08/3133241/eagles-shouldnt-replace-andy-reid.html

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