Philadelphia Eagles Reportedly Close to Naming New Head Coach

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Since Chip Kelly’s sudden firing following the Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff elimination, Eagles fans have been anxious to learn who will help deliver their franchise its first Lombardi Trophy.

According to CBS Sports Jason La Canfora, the Eagles could be naming their new head coach within “the next 24-48 hours.”

Owner Jeffery Lurie has been heading the coaching search, but seemingly had to take a brief hiatus with the recent owners meeting in Houston. According to the team, the search committee has interviewed six candidates, including recently hired Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase.

The remaining candidates would appear to be Giants Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo, former Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin, Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson, Offensive Coordinator, Interim Head Coach Pat Shurmer, and Running Backs Coach Duce Staley.

If the decision is truly to be announced within the next 48 hours, that would remove Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson, who was once considered a front runner. Pederson’s Chiefs play the Patriots this weekend in the AFC Playoffs, and would thus be unavailable to be hired by another team. Pederson was the Eagles starting quarterback in 1999 and is part of the Andy Reid “coaching tree.” Reid, who coached the Eagles through some of their best days, reportedly recommended Pederson to Lurie early in the process.

Ben McAdoo’s name has received more hype in recent days, even being called the “front runner” by some in the local and national media. Adam Schefter first gave McAdoo that title on the Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fantatic:

"“I don’t know that [Pederson]’s the front-runner. I know that he’s square in contention for that job, I know they really like him. In my mind, my sense — these are just senses — is that Ben McAdoo is the front-runner. But I don’t know that to be right. I think Pederson and McAdoo both are square in the conversation.”"

McAdoo was hired as the Giants Offensive Coordinator prior to the 2014 season and finished with the leagues 19th ranked offense, according to Football Outsiders. He had previously spent time as the Packers Quarterbacks Coach, as well as a member of the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers staff. He also spent time in the college ranks at Pittsburgh and Michigan State as a Graduate Assistant.

A native of Western Pennsylvania, McAdoo would be an interesting hire by Jeffery Lurie, who prefers to hire offensive minded head coaches. With no head coaching experience and little time as an offensive coordinator, McAdoo would be taking over a team that struggled to find consistency under Chip Kelly. While Eagles fans would love a flashy name like Jon Gruden or Tom Coughlin, it appears for now the team may be heading in a different direction.

Stay connected to NFL Mocks as this story and other head coaching news continues to develop!