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NFL teams rarely share much information about the operation of their head-to-head coaching procedures. In extensive remarks ahead of the formal launch of coach Nick Sirianni on Friday, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie peeled back the curtain slightly.
“Our interviews are long,” Lurie said via the transcript provided by the Eagles. ‘It’s usually seven to ten hours, without stopping. We go to many, many ways to every aspect of the sport, leadership, football. Our support group, which we want to reach in the near future and forward. . . . They give a lot to us. We do not give much to them. ”
Lurie also explained that the Eagles entered the process with about 25 names of coaches to consider.
“We look at the details of their background, not just their resumes, but every aspect of leadership potential, X’s and’s’s, of course, but much more than you would expect in terms of just a football resume,” Lurie said. ‘It’s much more about the people and how they behave, how they surround themselves, reach out to greatness, are they risk averse, do they manage well, do they pay a lot of attention to detail, how should they work together, how is it to work with when there is a season up and down, how are they under tremendous tension, how are they in competitive situations? The list goes on and on and on about the features. . . . I think for the Eagles, what has helped us a lot, a lot, is that we are looking for the best football leader going forward. It’s not about who’s the hottest coordinator, who’s the best X’s, and Os, who’s the best resume? Everything is important. Everything is important. ”
The Eagles cut the initial group of about 25 to a smaller group of candidates to be interviewed.
‘[W]it’s a lot, a lot of research, [we] narrow it down, ”Lurie said. ‘In this case, we reduced it to 10. We interviewed 10 candidates. Once again, I was amazed at the quality of these candidates. The NFL lacks slots, not candidates. I’m really glad I can say that. I’m not saying this diplomatically. Believe me, any friend who asked me, it’s like it was really impressive people and candidates. Some of them are quite young. They will be the best candidates in a year, two or three, no doubt about it. This is what we learned in the process. ”
Lurie also said that the interview, despite its length and apparent intensity, “probably accounts for 33 percent” of the broader decision.
Regardless of Lurie’s intended reason (s) to provide such transparency, it necessarily helps the decision to appoint Sirianni by suggesting that he came from a meticulous, investigative and demanding process that began with 25 or so highly qualified candidates and end with one. The message to fans and the media: By winning this match of coaches, Sirianni must to be extraordinarily capable.
‘Once you spent time with Nick, and we probably spent ten, 12 hours together over two days about two hours, it turned out to be a very special communicator, not just a brilliant football IQ. , which was very clear early on when we went through how he plans the game, how he attacks defense, how he maximizes staff, not only relying on a plan, but how to attack every week exactly who you play, what they strengths and weaknesses are in detail, ”said Lurie. “Much more than that. . . . He is someone who connects with everyone. For me, it continues and builds on the culture we had. In today’s world it is not so often talked about, but for the Eagles culture remains the most important. In our world today there is such polarization, there is such a rift between people, people are divided by race, age, politics, whatever it is. There is social media that contributes to that.
‘I think it’s very valuable to have someone who cares deeply and sincerely about who they work for, the players who play for them and with them, the other coaches, the staff. Someone who is sincere for caring. To me, Nick symbolizes this. The first step I think to be a good coach in modern football today, modern sports, is to care a lot for the players and coaches you work with, and everyone. But a player who is 22, 30 years old, in this world, if you care, you can earn your trust. If the caring is not real, or if you are not genuine, the players are too smart and see it right, as they should. ”
Lurie also admitted that there will be ‘many projections’ with Sirianni about his continued development.
“It’s an evaluation of what he is now and what kind of coach he can become and what organization we can become with his leadership,” Lurie said.
This is an implicit plea from Lurie for patience. And that implies that Lurie will be patient. Sirianni may not be immediately ready to become one of the best head coaches in football, but in time he will.
Since coaching Andy Reid at the end of the 2012 season, the Eagles have kept Chip Kelly for three years and Doug Pederson for five. Pederson did not hold on, even though he won a Super Bowl and took the team to the playoffs in three of five seasons. When is Lurie going to do it again?
At this point and forward it goes to Sirianni.