Chip Kelly Fired by the Philadelphia Eagles

In a statement from Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie announced the Philadelphia Eagles have fired Head Coach Chip Kelly after just three years. Kelly took over a 4-12 team and took the Eagles to the playoffs, but has failed to improve ever since. He was also the defacto General Manager and made trades that many fans and analysts questioned.

Kelly was 26-21 in his three seasons in Philadelphia and 0-1 in the playoffs.

Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmer will take over as the interim Head Coach for the final game in New York.

Here is Jeffery Lurie’s statement regarding Chip Kelly:

A highly touted coach coming out of Oregon, Kelly was expected to revolutionize the game of football with his high-tempo, efficiency based offense. While his first season brought historic success and a playoff appearance, the lack of variation and wear on their own defense led to this decision.

As the man in-charge of personnel decisions, Kelly traded the franchises leading rusher LeSean McCoy for an injured Kiko Alonso, who has played terribly this year. He also traded for Sam Bradford and signed DeMarco Murray, both of whom did not fit in his offense. As the Head Coach, he forced the decision to release wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who had a career year under Kelly in his first year.

Because of all of those moves and the failure of the franchise to grow, the fans in Philadelphia grew tired of Kelly. They felt he could not make the college transition and treat paid NFL players how they’ve grown accustom to being treated.

While Kelly did not revolutionize the way the game is played, he did bring new, effective ways to prepare for the game. His emphasis on healthy eating, the importance of sleep, and keeping the body fresh throughout the season will certainly stay in the league.

I would not expect Kelly to be searching for an NFL job for long. The Tennessee Titans and Kelly’s former quarterback Marcus Mariota will be looking for a head coach and Kelly may finally be able to fully utilize his Oregon offense with the mobile quarterback who did it best.

As for the Eagles, they get a head start on the coaching search. Panthers Defensive Coordinator and former Eagles coach Sean McDermott is a name people have heard whispers of, as well as Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie will have a press conference Wednesday at noon to discuss his decision to fire Head Coach Chip Kelly.