The Eagles are digging deep into their campus playbook.
After already interviewing — and being spurned by — Oregon’s Chip Kelly and Penn State’s Bill O’Brien, the team has added another college play-caller to the list, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly.
Days after the Fightin’ Irish were trounced in the BCS title game, 42-14 to Alabama, the Eagles met secretly with Kelly about their vacant head coaching position. The interview was first reported by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Kelly is out of the country and couldn’t be reached for comment, per the report.
Sources close to Kelly have insisted the coach wants to remain in South Bend, where he has gone 28-11 in three seasons.
“I think from my perspective I’ve got the best job in the country, NFL, college, high school, whatever,” Kelly said Saturday. “I just look at the place that I’m at and thankful for the opportunity that I have.”
Kelly would be the 12th candidate to replace Andy Reid. In addition to the three college coaches, the Eagles have also met with Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong, Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. They have scheduled interviews with former Bears coach Lovie Smith, Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Doug Marrone and Dirk Koetter were targeted, but never interviewed after accepting other offers.
Expect the rumors to keep rolling in, too. The Eagles are on the record saying that they don’t plan on making a quick hire. They may wait until after the Super Bowl, so they can add more names to the list.
“Jeffrey has been very adamant with us that the key is getting the right guy,” GM Howie Roseman told PhiladelphiaEagles.com Wednesday. “The key isn’t getting the right guy as quickly as possible, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
