Eagles' Mudd Ready To Retire Again
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Eagles' Mudd Ready To Retire Again
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
If Andy Reid wants another NFL head-coaching job after the Eagles let him go later this month, he’ll have no trouble finding one. Wherever he winds up, though, he’s going to need a new offensive line coach.
Howard Mudd acknowledged to the Daily News Thursday what most people had already suspected – he’s calling it quits after the season.
``I decided quite a while ago,’’ the 71-year-old Mudd said. ``I gotta go be a grandpa. That was the plan two years ago and Andy talked me out of it. But this time, it’s going to be permanent.
``I told my wife last night, I really like coaching. But it’s time.’’
Mudd is one of the league’s best offensive line coaches. He’s been coaching NFL offensive lines for 37 years. Spent 12 years with the Colts before retiring after the ’09 season.
Reid coaxed him out retirement last year after making the controversial decision to switch Juan Castillo from offensive line coach to defensive coordinator.
The offensive line was one of the Eagles’ biggest concerns at the start of the ’11 season. By the end of the year, it was one of their greatest strengths.
Injuries wreaked havoc with Mudd’s unit this season. He lost All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters to a ruptured Achilles tendon last spring. Center Jason Kelce tore his ACL in Week 2 and right tackle Todd Herremans suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 9. Right guard Danny Watkins also was out for more than a month with an ankle injury.
Is he glad he came back?
``Oh yeah,’’ Mudd said. ``It’s all about the people. The players you coach. The coaches you work with. The owner. But it’s time.’’
Comments (68)
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz another novel idea by Reid, where he only outsmarted himself— main liner- I don't know Paul... with all due respect to Howard Mudd, I think most everything about the end of last season was indeed 'fools gold.' His unique methods did not produce unique success, and if I were the owner I would be moving on to a new scheme wether Mr. Mudd was retiring or not.— Mr. Magee
- Mudd's unique methods produced unique failure. Aside from the injuries (which every team deals with) the play, scheme, and discipline of the O Line is not NFL caliber.— Mike Boryla
- His players retired weeks ago.— ghostofozark
- ``I decided quite a while ago,’’ the 71-year-old Mudd said. I think it's fair to say we can all see that.— Frank Peterson
- Just one less coach for Lurie to have to fire!— oneway
Go NOW!'— HappyBob- Cut the guy some slack. Peters, Herremans and Kelce are all injured. Also injured this season were Dunlap, Watkins and Reynolds - and those guys weren't even starter-quality to begin with.— p-diddy
- If I recall correctly, he was semi-retired this year, since he did not attend OTAs in the off season. What bugs me is that we cut 4 decent linemen because they were either too big or had short arms and didn't fit his system. Well three of those guys are starting for Indianapolis and blocking beautifully for Andrew Luck. Shipley, McGlynn and Justice make up the right side of their line. Indy was in 1st place in their division last time I looked.— miket47
- I guess the last time you looked was 2010. If I recall the Texans are 10-1 and about to lock that division up. And they say Philly fan are knowledgeable. You my ignorant friend dont even know what teams are in what divisions and then lie to get your point across. — eagle fan for life
- This is why coaches need to adjust their systems and approach based on the players' strengths, not vice versa.— Progressive215
- The 2 biggest problems for the Eagles...a totally useless O line and Pee Wee Roseman running the show. Something about that name "Howard" which has turned the Eagles into a laughing stock.— kelprod2-freemarket
- When Howard was signed along with Washburn, the same fanbase here was excited about what a great coup it was to get the two. I certainly was. It's safe to say that the people scouting and drafting our defensive and offensive linemen are the real failure. You can wash and wax your clapped out Hyundai Scoupe all you want, in the end, it's still a piece of junk. Ditto our linemen. Ditto our scouts and GM.....— DelawareRiverRat
- Get rid of them all...Vick, Reid, Washburn..this is the worst Eagles team in FIFTEEN YEARS...get fresh new people and ideas..— jim35
- Not so good without Peyton ay!!— Geno D
- Since you can't fire Lurie everyone under him SEE YA !— d1955h
- He was gone at years' end anyway. Now the more important question, not the head coach, but the person who will choose the head coach. Jaws is the man for the job in my opinion. HIREJAWSFIRST is a facebook page where you can show support for this idea. If you agree, stop by and give it a "like". Thanks!— bentlip
- Maybe Reid will hire Castillo as his next O line coach.— Bartleby
- strength at the end of last season!?!?!? yeah right— psualum
- What do you mean "To" retire again??? He was retired during training camp. He didnt even show up until everything was pretty much installed. The Eagles basically payed him to not be there to teach his techiques and it shows. All of the Qb's are beat up and basically ineffective because none of the guys he picked out are talented enough and he himself wasnt there to teach tihs. He retired this year actually. The hell is he talking about?— Zeru
- Howard's boys were doing just fine about this time last year, once Watkins and Kelce got the hang of his system. It's not his fault his two best players were on IR two games into the season, and two more were done by the bye. Or that the FO thought Demetress Bell could actually play. That said, he knows Reid's days are numbered, hence so are his. Fare thee well, ye ole coot.— JBirks
- If any of the coaches are offered a job to stay with the Birds,I hope it's Duce. I think he has what it takes to coach up the RB's and I'd hate to see him go...one of our all time,top effort guy's on the field.— greenbloodVAEagle
- Mudd should have remained retired. This Coach was blessed by having Peyton Manning as his QB for all those years at Indy. Manning made Mudd look like a good OLine Coach. Vick, on the other hand, made him look average. Throw in the trash that Howie and Andy gave him as Draft choices (Watkins) and he is a terrible Coach! Can't wait to see the entire coaching staff and "Accountant GM" removed!— cooperhawk
- fire rosebud! he stinks!— sore richard
- Thank God!— Atomic Fury
- His last name says it all and you can apply that to the entire team, coaching staff and owner.— fanup
- Are the Eagles going to give him a parting gift like a tie w/ a bowl of soup or something? Get da fugg outta here Howard— glove69
- I doubt many offensive line coaches could do any better with the players he was left with after the injuries.— bc3030
- @greenblood...If Duce were any good at coaching the RBs would not be fumbling so much. Nobody has done a good enough job to stay, clean sweep and let the new GM and head coach start from scratch.— Paul SoTX
- Duce has nothing to do with coaching the RBs. That's the job of Ted Williams. Duce is in charge of Special Teams Quality Control and Jim Washburn is the Defensive Line Coach. Mike Zordich is the Secondary/Safeties Coach.
— essell - Amen Jim35,A new coaching staff that can communicate with and motivate the modern day athelete....hopefully something like the dominant defense and strong run game of the Vermiel era...a change in attitude is what's needed most and the new head coach needs to be someone players respect...I love what Reid did for Philly but the players obviously don't respect him anymore.— greenbloodVAEagle
- YO PaulSoTx,I hear Ya but Duce can't be on the field...the failure of this season has many faces and the players have left a lot to be desired...mostly,I'm just saying I like and respect Staley and have a gut feeling for his coaching ability but what do I know? I don't think Howie Roseman will be fired though....seems like he'll be the one designing the new regime for Lurie IMO.— greenbloodVAEagle
- Chip Kelly/David Shaw!— DeathPenalty94
- Sadly, the king of speedy midget linemen (with high motors) will retire for good. For God's sake, man - go be a grandpa and never darken our towels again!— NM Eagle fan
- Now that I've read what the fans' response was, I wonder what his wife's response was when he told her "last night." I'm guessing it was something along the lines of "thank god, I couldn't take another season of watching King Dunlap."— CFPhilsPhan
- 1st thing Monday morning works for me— rustypop58
- I like that picture of Mudd. Looks like a great imitation of Joe Cocker. And its 'High Time He Went."— watsonmr
- lol @ coach mudd getting in the life boat before its in the water.— bloodymess
- Good! Mudd should retire and so should the rest of the Eagles coaching staff. They all stink which is why the Eagles stink!— Panthro2011
- LOL ghost, right on! We keep hearing about how great these assistants are yet they have had ZERO success here. Bobby April, fail, Jim Washburn fail, Howard Mudd fail, Todd Bowles fail! Combine that with the coaches that never had success like Marty, terrible drafts, and a joke of a G.M. It is a wonder we have won a single game. Yes, it's time for ALL of them to retire
- Its like the coaching equivalent of "The Hangover." — watsonmr
- Mudd retired in 09 for a reason...he was DONE. In 09 he was done, put out to pasture. But Big Red, the smartest kid at the special Olympics, dug him up and paid him big dollars. The iggles are without a doubt the worst team in the NFL and by a fairly big margin too.— warrentheape
- I'll drive him to the airport and pay for the parking— 658012
- I hope he goes on a diet.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- Worst team in 15 years?.....try worst team losing streak in 44 years if they lose Sunday night.
All coaches must go and we need a real football guy in GM office.
I really like McGlynn bummer Mudd cut him loose.
Cindy Crosby sucks.— Dr. D. 
It's sad that the present Eagles coaching staff is where antiquated guys come to retire. Lurie probably has some sweet retirement plan in place....- all of this moves means nothing to me until Reid gets fired.— z03mbm
- Mudd's system that required 'small, quick' O-linemen may haunt us for a few years. at least we can begin digging out of the hole he put us in!— fillyfan
- mudd's system requiredd small, quick o-lineman who play against big strong, quick d-lineman really easy to see who will win that battle.— only 9
- I think Mudd had a raw deal this year with all the injuries he's had to adjust & overcome (which he honestly hasn't). What OL coach could replace 4/5 of their line after the season started?
On the other hand, Washburn hasn't had that problem. He hasn't had to overcome injuries or make those kinds of adjustments. He just hasn't done a good job. Basing your whole defense around the Wide 9 is just a bad idea.
That's on Reid.— yobill626 - I totally agree about keeping Duce, he's the man! I was always a big fan of his.— WestonF01
- Are we sure he actually ever came out of retirement?— Scope33
- shoulda stayed retired the first time...— jabac
- These comments are all dumb. The o line was fantastic last year. This year, not one starter remains. Find another scapegoat to hate.— Fritz and Alice
- "The o line was fantastic last year"- Really? They got better the last couple of games, but were a hot mess MOST of the season. I would never consider them fantastic
- Thank God!!!!!!— 4thand10
- Last year??? I seem to remember Vick running for his life most of the time last year also. I acknowledge he's not the best at seeing anything down there anyway but... Other than Peters who has been AR's best (only?) talent pickup, the OL was way overrated by our so-called eagle expert press. Kelce? Let's wait a few years before we decide he's an all pro.— dval
- Sad to see such a great career end like a turd in a punch bowl.— beefbre
- Mudd has done nothing to make that line better. See you later.— Jeff C.
- Mudd has actually been "pretired" the last couple of years. It means that technically, you're still working, but really, you're not.— drbob1
- Don't let the portal strike you in the posterior, Howard.— Dave Clemens
- He's retiring two years too late. By the way, in the opening paragraph, the very idea that another NFL owner would give Andy Reid a head coaching job is beyond belief.— 1republican
- Let's hope ole Harcourt Fenton Mudd makes it stick this time! Sure wasn't any sort of a success coming back!
GOOD GRIEF!— BEMiller - There should be more stories on the thinking behind hiring Mudd in the first place. It may be too boring of a story, but here's the short version: Mudd's system is unlike any other and requires different skills & talent. We draft & retain players to fit his system. We release good talent in "standard" OL blocking schemes. And only two seasons later we are going to abandon that system. Completely short-sighted thinking. More than any other thing, this is a sign of no long-term thinking or strategy. Our OL will need to retrain next year. What a mess.— djack10
- can't they hire anyone but old pirates?...the entire org is embarrassing— 1stamendment
- There's no guarantee that Reid is a slam dunk to be hired by another team. Other owners have watched and observed his tendency to appoint "Peter Principled" coaches and players to positions unsuited for there skill levels. Reid had been carried (CARRIED) for years by the likes of Brad Childress (OC, Cleveland Browns); John Harbaugh (Ravens); Steve Spagnuolo (Saints); Leslie Frazier(Minn Vikings) ; Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers); Pat Shurmur (Cleveland Browns) Jon Gruden and, of course, Jim Johnson (deceased). Reid has yet to demonstrate he can operate independently without a competent supporting cast. There isn't even a certainty that Limp-Wrist Lurie will even fire him (Which, I'm sure we're all in agreement, he should).— essell
- Just clearing the way for a re-juan.— dlivesay
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Eagletarian is your home for comprehensive coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Les Bowen
Daily News Staff Writer
Paul Domowitch
Daily News NFL Columnist
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