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Chip Kelly fired after Eagles moves lead to missed playoffs Eagles CEO says coach following Kelly needs people skills
(about 14 hours later)
PHILADELPHIA — Chip Kelly went three-and-out — much like his inconsistent offense. PHILADELPHIA — The next Eagles coach better have some people skills.
Kelly was fired by the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday night with one game left in his third season, completing a dramatic drop for a coach who was heavily recruited and lauded as an offensive genius only a couple years ago. A day after firing Chip Kelly, CEO Jeffrey Lurie made it clear he wants a coach who can relate to his players and everyone else in the building.
Kelly was dumped after missing the playoffs for the second straight season and failing miserably in his first year in charge of personnel. “You’ve got to open your heart to players and everybody you want to achieve peak performance,” Lurie said Wednesday. “I would call it a style of leadership that values information and all of the resources that are provided and at the same time values emotional intelligence. I think in today’s world, a combination of all those factors creates the best chance to succeed.”
The Eagles entered the season with Super Bowl expectations, but are 6-9. They’ve lost several games by a lopsided margin and players had lost confidence in Kelly. Kelly didn’t have close relationships with many of his players, and former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and cornerback Brandon Boykin were critical of his personality after he traded them.
Two current Eagles players, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team was not publicly discussing the firing, told The Associated Press late Tuesday night that several players had met in groups in recent weeks to discuss their frustration with Kelly. They said they expressed relief in text exchanges with teammates after the team announced it had fired Kelly, after most players had left the team’s practice facility for the day. Lurie said he wants “someone who interacts and communicates very clearly with everyone he works with.”
Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie issued a one-sentence statement to reporters saying he appreciates Kelly’s contributions and wishes him success going forward. Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, who was Kelly’s first draft pick, said his former coach was considered “unapproachable” by many players.
Lurie told fans in an email that he decided to make a change after “evaluating the many factors involved in our performance as a team.” “I want to see a guy who really cares about his players and isn’t so set in his ways so we can all go in the same direction,” Johnson said.
The Eagles also fired Ed Marynowitz, who was vice president of player personnel. Longtime NFL executive Tom Donahoe will assume the role of senior director of player personnel. Kelly was fired after missing the playoffs for the second straight season and failing in his first year in charge of personnel. The Eagles entered the season with Super Bowl expectations, but are 6-9.
Kelly gained full control of personnel decisions last offseason, winning a power struggle with then-general manager Howie Roseman. But Kelly tore apart a winning team and several of his bold moves backfired. Players prepared for the season finale at the New York Giants on Sunday with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur serving as interim coach, largely going about business as usual.
Since March 2014, Kelly released three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, traded two-time All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy, didn’t re-sign 2014 Pro Bowl wideout Jeremy Maclin, cut two-time Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis and traded quarterback Nick Foles and a 2016 second-round draft pick for Sam Bradford. “It’s a power struggle in the NFL because you’re trying to tell a grown man with some money to do something and believe it,” linebacker Brandon Graham said after practice.
Quarterback Sam Bradford, who could be a free agent after the season, said he wants to return next year.
“I had a good relationship with Chip. We communicated well together and maybe that was just me,” linebacker Connor Barwin said.
Lurie said he decided to fire Kelly before the end of the season to get a jump start on a coaching search and meet with players to talk to them about the decision. He said he met with players as a group on Wednesday and had smaller meetings planned with them later in the day.
“It was a clear and important decision that had to be made,” he said, adding that he didn’t offer to keep Kelly on as the coach and strip him of personnel control.
Howie Roseman, who was general manager before Kelly insisted on making all the decisions, will remain in his role as the executive vice president of football operations and oversee the personnel department headed by Tom Donahoe. The former Bills and Steelers GM is the new senior director of player personnel.
Lurie doesn’t plan to hire a GM. Roseman, Donahoe and the new head coach will manage the roster with a “collaborative” effort, he said.
Despite a losing record, the Eagles could have won the NFC East by finishing 8-8. But they were eliminated with a loss at home to Washington on Saturday.
Lurie said he fired Kelly based on an assessment of the last three years, not a string of recent losses.
“It was more the lack of progress and the trajectory where we were going,” he said.
Lurie acknowledged giving Kelly full control of personnel decisions last January was a mistake. Lurie said for the first time that Kelly demanded full control so he gave it to him so he would be “accountable for his decisions.” Until this point, Kelly had said it was Lurie’s decision — not his — to oversee all player moves.
Kelly quickly tore apart a winning team and made several bold moves that backfired.
Since March 2014, Kelly released three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, traded McCoy, didn’t re-sign 2014 Pro Bowl wideout Jeremy Maclin, cut two-time Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis and traded quarterback Nick Foles and a 2016 second-round draft pick for Bradford.
He also gave big money in free agency to running back DeMarco Murray and cornerback Byron Maxwell. Murray has been a bust and Maxwell has underperformed. Kelly even signed Tim Tebow, but released him after he won the competition for the No. 3 quarterback job.He also gave big money in free agency to running back DeMarco Murray and cornerback Byron Maxwell. Murray has been a bust and Maxwell has underperformed. Kelly even signed Tim Tebow, but released him after he won the competition for the No. 3 quarterback job.
A person familiar with the decision to fire Kelly told the AP on Tuesday night that the team didn’t consider only stripping him of personnel control, opting to part with him entirely. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Lurie will address Kelly’s dismissal on Wednesday. Philadelphia missed the postseason in 2014 following a 9-3 start and were 7-12 in Kelly’s last 19 games.
Kelly didn’t want players perceived as “me-first” guys. He alienated some of his players, though the only ones who spoke out against him did it after they were gone.
McCoy, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher and a fan favorite, made headlines when he said there’s a reason Kelly got rid of “all the good black players.” Cornerback Brandon Boykin, who was traded to Pittsburgh, said Kelly was “uncomfortable” around black players.
Other players supported Kelly and moves such as signing Murray and Maxwell contradicted McCoy’s claim. But Kelly’s reputation took a hit anyway.
Shortly after Kelly was fired, former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho tweeted: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Suspended Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon tweeted: “Shady, Maclin, Foles, Djax.. Smh.”
Kelly replaced Andy Reid and led the Eagles to an NFC East title in 2013 after they were 4-12 a year earlier. The Eagles lost at home to New Orleans in the playoffs and missed the postseason in 2014 following a 9-3 start.
They were 7-12 in Kelly’s last 19 games.
Kelly was considered one of the most innovative coaches in college when the Eagles lured him away from Oregon in 2013. He brought his up-tempo offense and a unique approach that included monitoring players’ sleep habits, changing the menu in the cafeteria and playing loud music during practices. Players had protein shakes waiting for them after practice and the team took the field on Tuesdays, which is a day off for the rest of the NFL.
Kelly’s offense was dynamic his first season and set several franchise records. It steadily declined the next two years. The defense has been the worst in the NFL for three seasons.
Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will coach the team in the season finale at the New York Giants on Sunday.
Lurie told fans President Don Smolenski and Roseman, the executive vice president of football operations, will assist him in the search for a new coach.
Roseman helped convince Kelly to take the job after he initially decided to stay at Oregon. Kelly ended up taking Roseman’s job without the title — the Eagles technically didn’t have a GM this season. But Roseman is the last one standing in Philadelphia.
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Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.