The Philadelphia Eagles have named Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson their next head coach. The Eagles will introduce him at a 2 p.m. EST press conference tomorrow.
Pederson was expected to become the next head coach of the Eagles, but now that the Kansas City Chiefs have been eliminated from the playoffs, it has become official. He has a long history in Philadelphia as he was a quarterback for the team in 1999 and was its offensive quality control coach from 2009-2010. Pederson also served as the Eagles' quarterbacks' coach under Andy Reid.
"We are excited to introduce Doug Pederson as our new head coach," said Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie, via the team's website. "Doug is a strategic thinker, a compelling leader and communicator, and someone who truly knows how to get the best out of his players. All of these factors were what initially attracted us to Doug and we believe that he is the right man to help us achiever our ultimate goal."
Pederson clearly improved the Chiefs offense in three seasons in Kansas City, and helped lead the team to two playoff appearances, in 2013 and 2015. Pederson had a huge impact, helping elevate quarterback Alex Smith to new levels of play on the field. Under Pederson, Smith threw more than 3,000 yards each season, something he had only accomplished once before in his career. Smith threw career high 23 touchdowns in his first season under Pederson and earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl that year.
The Eagles still have a ton offseason moves they still have to make, but former Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is reportedly a strong candidate to fill the offensive coordinator position under Pederson. The Eagles new head coach was interested in Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, but the team has reportedly been denied a chance to speak with him.
Philadelphia finished in second place in a weak NFC East at 7-9, and still have to decide whether quarterback Sam Bradford is the guy for its future. It will be interesting to see what personnel decisions the Eagles make in the next couple of months, but it's not impossible to believe they could contend for the division next season, as the NFC East will likely be up for grabs again in 2016.
