Reid: I Alone Fired Juan, More to Come
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Reid: I Alone Fired Juan, More to Come
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Eagles coach Andy Reid answered questions for 26 minutes Tuesday in front of the cameras, then spoke with a few reporters privately for 12 more minutes, explaining the extraordinary decision to fire defensive coordinator Juan Castillo with the Eagles sitting at 3-3. Reid replaced Castillo with secondary coach Todd Bowles.
More on Bowles background here.
The upshot Tuesday: Reid was vehement that he alone made the decision, that saving his own job was not part of his thought process, and that whether reporters, fans and even players might detect a whiff of panic was beside the point.
Reid also hinted at other pending changes. Asked about turnover-plagued quarterback Michael Vick, Reid repeated what he'd said a day earlier about Castillo, that Vick was the starter "as I sit here right now" -- even though Reid happened to be standing behind a lectern -- but he said he would continue to evaluate all phases of the operation during the team's bye week.
"I'm going through and evaluating our football team, both coaches and players. This is one of the moves. We'll see where this goes from here," said Reid, who said firing his loyal assistant of 14 years was "one of the tougher things I've had to do."
It was Reid who shocked the football world during Super Bowl week February 2011 by making his offensive line coach the defensive coordinator. It was Reid who saw Castillo struggle matching wits with experienced offensive coordinators during a series of disastrous fourth quarters last season, then decided to stick with Castillo after evaluating his disappointing 8-8 team at the end of the year. And it was Reid who finally gave up on the experiment Monday night, sitting down with Castillo to tell him he was done.
"We all know how much I care about Juan Castillo as a person and as a football coach. He's a good football coach," Reid said. "Tremendous football coach."
Asked about perception, Reid said: "All you can do is tell the truth. I've been questioned on every decision, whether somebody else made it for me or didn't make it for me. That's not what this is about. At all.
"You can't worry about [perception]. I've got to do what I think is right right now. That's what I've got to do. It's as simple as that. I completely understand where people will come from. I got it."
Reid had spoken Monday of beginning a lengthy evaluation process, first at his day-after news conference, then during his weekly radio show. On the 94 WIP radio show Monday evening, Reid stressed that he hadn't done anything, wanted to let the anger and disappointment from Sunday's loss to the Lions subside before making any decisions. Within a few hours, presumably, he was delivering the news to Castillo.
Asked about that Tuesday, Reid said: "There's ways of buying time in this business, where you can think. Mondays are pretty crazy. You want to make sure you step back a little bit."
Reid stressed his continuing regard for Castillo, said he'd spoken to him again Tuesday morning.
Reid said repeated fourth quarter failures last season, and then again the past two weeks, were part of his decision.
"I thought we made progress" toward the end of last season, Reid said. "I thought we kind of did that through training camp, through the first couple games, and then there were just some things that I go 'I've got to look at this.' That's kind of where I went."
Bowles, who turns 49 next month, was a star safety at Temple who played 8 NFL seasons for the Redskins and 49ers. He served as interim head coach for the Dolphins last year after Tony Sparano was fired.
Reid said he didn't bring Bowles in last offseason to replace Castillo, though a cynic might suggest Bowles got the job as soon as he became familiar with the personnel and scheme. Reid said the defensive scheme would not change.
"He's all-in, works hard, smart," Reid said of Bowles, whom he said had made a lot of good sugestions this year. "Seems to have a good feel for the game, is a good communicator."
Reid said in speaking with Castillo he was "as real as I could be, to a good friend. He understands the business. Thank goodness he understands it. He knows that he's going to be all right. This isn't the end of his road or anything."
- Vick Vick Vick. Buy a wide screen and you may notice the poor O-line and McCoy picking up the wrong man on pass plays, if he attempts to block. You may even see cheerleaders...try it.
— tony11 
Comment removed.- I read in the Sports Pickle that the Eagles' dynasty looked like it was coming to an end.— jtj06
- You mean the one person still having that dream woke up?
The funniest thing about the Eagles is how they always think they're so much better than they really are. Then they have to actually play the games.— s - Sounds like Vick and Castillo will be selling soft pretzels outside the Linc after the bye.— s
- Let's have an offense that is not a one man show. Let's have an offense that makes the other team pay by having a QB with a head on his shoulders and does the unexpected. Let's have an offense that can move the ball in the red zone. Let's have an offense that displays time management skills— fafink
- Fans...With you please STop your Crying and go back to bed! Your team is nothing but losers and No one enjoys them in Football besides dump Philly!!!— MRD
- Firing Castillo..........further proof that NFL stands for Not For Long.
— LarsMendte2 - Marty M. is a pathetic excuse of an OC. Years ago, after he calls 75% pass plays against Oakland, the worst run-defense team in the NFL, and we lost, he should have been GONE! That game is typical of the brainless calls, the lack of gameplanning, and the inexcuseable lack of in-game adjustments that any OC worth a damn can and must do. PLEASE FIRE THIS CLOWN. Reid, call the plays yourself....though that's not much better! But MM has to go....— philly449
- MRD....we still own you and your Vagiants, tool....keep up the good work— philly449
- Putting in Nick Foles behind this offensive line will not be beneficial for his growth at all. Let Vick finish the season, then right after the Super Bowl, cut ties with him. It's time to get rid of all these "gimmick" QBs we've been subject to. It's time to have a real, intelligent, QB that can stand in the pocket, read a defense and react! We need to rebuild the offensive line, get a true #1 WR (then maybe our little boys we have at WR can use their speed to make plays) Face it Eagle fans, it's time to tear this down and rebuild it. Does this mean fire AR? I don't know because the so called experts agree he's a great coach, so what are we missing there??? This team has ripped my heart out for 40 years, can't we just have a damn championship!!!— John Couf
- Yo. nothing left to lose with this season or Coaching STAFF. HELLO, GET AGGRESSIVE. I want to see sacks, interceptions, and a NO HUDDLE offense. These guys are supposed to be fast... PLAY FAST. If it fails than is that any worse than perpetual mediocrity?— bmckelligott
- Bad combination of players; We have become the Washington Redskins building through free agency, whiffing on draft picks and surprised when the whole is less than the sum of its parts. If you can't see something is wrong on both sides of the ball as well as special teams, you are in denial. ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE this team goes anywhere. I was always a Reid fan, but i've got friends in other cities calling and laughing at this team. He was the final word on all this, he must answer for it. I think it'll be over by mid-November and then we can see what Foles can do.— iskabobpatel
- Personally i think that reid is going to be the next firing and we can tell you why here http://halftimechat.com/andy-reid-out-in-philly/— eddiebeat
