The reactions to the Eagles decision to hire Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni were mixed when the news broke on Thursday.
Some likes it. Some didn’t. Some had never heard of him.
Almost everyone, however, had some version of the same response mixed in with their reactions:
“Well, there it is, another head coach that the Eagles can control”
With the Eagles apparently passing on Josh McDaniels in favor of Sirianni, the belief among most is that they did so because the duo of Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman could “control” Sirianni, whereas with McDaniels, Roseman and Lurie would have to listen to the demands of the veteran coach.
But as the Eagles start to rebuild a disaster of a 2020 season, it is important to point out that in recent history, the team has been at their best when their head coach has worked with, and not fought with, Roseman.
In 2013 and 2014, when Roseman and then-head coach Chip Kelly were still on some semblance of speaking terms, they won 20 games and made it to the playoffs once, and should have made it twice. In 2015, when Kelly pushed for power because he didn’t believe in Roseman, the Eagles were terrible and ended up with Sam Bradford as their quarterback.
In 2016, after Kelly was fired and Doug Pederson was hired, the Eagles once again had a head coach that would work with, not against, Roseman. That season they were better than expected, and laid the foundation for 2017, when they won the Super Bowl. In 2018 and 2019 they made the playoffs, but as the power dynamics started to shift, the team started to get worse.
In 2020, when Pederson apparently started to really get upset about the power dynamics — and a lack of complete control over his coaching staff — the team crumbled, winning four games and fielding one of the worst offenses in the league. Roseman listening to the coaching staff, something many have begged him to do, resulted in Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson.
Of course, with any relationship, everything isn’t as cut-and-dry as that. Outside of 2015, it isn’t like there were switches flipped, where one day Roseman was “controlling” the head coach, and then he wasn’t. The reality is that, over time, it seems the last two head coaches have become tired of dealing with the power structure Lurie has put in place. That is not a good look for either Roseman or Lurie, no matter how you slice it.
Bad look or not, however, it might not be a coincidence that things have broken down once the head coaches have looked for more control. That isn’t to say Roseman is flawless, and doesn’t hold blame, but the Eagles have been pretty good when they have a head coach that allows Roseman to do the job his way, and not one that pushes back for complete control. There is a strong argument to be made any organization is run better when the general manager does his job, and the coach is left to coaching.
Many feel McDaniels would have been that combative head coach. That he would have pushed Roseman. Well, that approach hasn’t seemed to work well for McDaniels, who was fired in less than two seasons from his only head coaching job because he reportedly was hard to work with. It is worth pointing out that, according to at least one report, Roseman wanted McDaniels. So the idea the Eagles hired Sirianni so Roseman could “control him” isn’t exactly true.
Despite the public narrative, it is a good thing, not a bad thing, that the Eagles hired a head coach that won’t fight with the general manager. We can debate if Roseman should still be here, but the reality is that he is, and history shows that he can build winning teams. With the right head coach, and the right working relationship, he can build special ones.
The bottom line is that Lurie was correct to hire a head coach who will work with Roseman. Lurie knows how to pick good head coaches. The results are clear on that one. Of the four head coaches Lurie has hired since owning the Eagles, all of them have made the playoffs in the first two seasons. It is when the coaches started to look for more power that things have fallen apart.
The power structure will one again be clear for the Eagles. Roseman will build the roster. Sirianni will coach it. Sirianni will obviously have input on his staff, but considering he is a younger head coach, he will likely have Roseman and Lurie suggest (strongly) some of it. That isn't a bad thing, despite what some might say. Roseman has connections around the league. Probably more than Sirianni does. Allowing him to pick some of Sirianni's staff gives the coach a better chance to succeed, like it did for Pederson in 2016.
Of course, Lurie’s track record doesn’t guarantee Sirianni will be a good head coach. The roster is in rough shape, the salary cap situation is complicated and the quarterback situation is a tense one. All of that will factor into how much success Sirianni has.
But by hiring a head coach that will work with, and not against Roseman, Lurie has given his team a better chance of succeeding than they would have with some of the other candidates -- and on the surface, the duo of Roseman and Sirianni looks like it could be a winning one for the Eagles.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!