Lurie: Reid is best coach to win championship
Andy Reid will be back to coach the Eagles for a 14th season, team owner Jeffrey Lurie said Tuesday afternoon. He said decisions about defensive coordinator Juan Castillo will come from Reid.
Lurie: Reid is best coach to win championship
Jonathan Tamari
Andy Reid will return to coach the Eagles next season, owner Jeffrey Lurie announced. (Michael Perez/AP)
Andy Reid will be back to coach the Eagles for a 14th season, team owner Jeffrey Lurie said Tuesday afternoon. He said decisions about defensive coordinator Juan Castillo will come from Reid.
"Andy Reid to me not only has the love of the players and respect, he also has the fire in his belly to be the best," Lurie said, though he expressed anger about this season's results.
But he said if the Eagles want to win a championship next season Reid is the best coach for the job.
"if I didn't think next year would be substantially better I'd be standing up here announcing a coaching change," Lurie said.
After an 8-8 season that began with big aspirations, Lurie said this year was "without question the most disappointing" since he has owned the team. He called the results after a 10-6 finish last year "unacceptable."
Reid's team started 4-8 as his hand-picked choice for defensive coordinator, Juan Castillo, struggled. The defense lost five fourth quarter leads to dig that hole that was too deep for the Eagles to make the playoffs. Lurie called the start of the season "dismal."
The team finished with a four-game winning streak to avoid a losing season, but Lurie said it was against poor competition.
Reid has led the Eagles to the playoffs nine times in 13 seasons and has won the most games in franchise history. But the team has slid in recent seasons. This will be their third straight year without a playoff win and the Eagles have failed to get a postseason victory in five of the past seven seasons.
Reid has two years left on his contract, which makes the 2012 season critical. Teams rarely let coaches enter the final year of their contract without the security of additional seasons, so after 2012 the Eagles will likely have to decide whether to extend Reid or cut ties with their long time coach.
This is a developing story. We'll have more soon.
Comments (88)
Fire in his belly? Too many hot wings for lunch or what?— tpizza- Reid and Vick his $100 million loser QB have won ZERO playoffs during the last TWO YEARS...even McNabb won some playoff games, and he was run out of town...LOL. — frank105
- Those that support Reid are delusional losers— shawnmac
- Those that want Reid gone are the delusional losers. Lurie is correct when he ssid AR gives them the best chance to win next year. — PhillyfanstuckinVa
- Why? Reid won back when the NFC was brutal, years ago. A new coach who ran the ball and hired a real def coordinator could win. You have nothing to base your statement on. — JonKap
- More fools gold for 2012, way to go Jeff!!!— Eaglehaslanded
- fire in his belly because even though he has looked at it 1000 times ... that darn menu is still so confusing— dheis
Comment removed.- Nothing changes until the waiting list for season tickets dries up. Whether you like it or whether you don't like it, learn to love it because it's the truth according to the Tonner and it's the best thing going today.
- Put me in a coma, wake me up in 2013.— dtrain67
- LIBERACE LURIE HAS SPOKEN, REID IS BACK— Pete60
- the Nickle(s) standard— dheis
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- Let me see if i have this right... Lurie says going 8-8 is UNACCEPTABLE. Ok... So WHY then bring back andy reid.?— wxdavid
- Arent you by defintion saying that 8-8 IS acceptable if you bring back the guy who was in charge and MOST responsible for hiring the clueless defensive coach..... Lurie can do what he wants but his actions do not match his words — wxdavid
- Reid’s only short coming is no S/B that’s it that will come I'm patient I like the team as it stands all we need is better coordinators!!! We have the best run game in the league some of the best of everything but line backers, safety and we're probably lacking on the O line a bit as well... I think this season will bring about greater appreciation for the off season workouts and mini camps from the players because its not just our team having problems there’s most of the teams in the league... no team in the NFL as retooled to the degree we have and I think things will be much better next year as well as different if we hire new d/c and o/c!!! I'm not worried as long as they keep big red but make him get ride of his o/c and d/c.... Hugh is the linebackers coach for the super bowl champs and has been helping the d/c in green bay for a few years now they seem to be doing things very well considering they have one the best defense against the run and some of the best linebackers in the NFL... Everyone in Philly is screaming fire Reid and replace him with who??? GOOD CALL JEFF LIKE YOU SAID THE PLAYERS LOVE AND RESPECT THE GUY SO THIS YEAR WILL BE MUCH BETTER THEY NEED TO BRING IN LB'S AND A SAFETY AND MAYBE A LINE OR TWO AND WE SHOULD BE STR8!!!! ALSO KEEP DESEAN JACKSON PLEASE!!!!
— DJ_Bootleggah - Good move!— MoeP
- So if not Reid then whom? Where is the superior resume? Spags? How many wins did he have as a head coach? One of the Ryan boys? They did great jobs of stopping our O. I don't think Belichick is leaving New England. Maybe we should trade owners with Dallas for a season and then see what the fan base thinks of Jeff Lurie.— Lockyer
- Jerry Jones: 3 SB rings, Jeff Lurie: 0. Fans don't need to like the owner personally, we just want them to hire the right people so their team WINS. Lurie is CLUELESS. — ELM
- Hey 'deputy-dope'...if you support these losers, then you yourself are a loser.— ELM
- Couldn't hear the PC but it sounds like Lurie is giving AR an ultimatum. It's AR's choice to either get the job done or die by them.
If he wants to keep JC he will have to bear the brunt of it if he fails.— tpizza - The guy is a complete idiot. Joe B, go wash his car on Sunday morning and Fat Man, make sure you split your Big Mac with jeff. Oh yeah, Tinker Bell, make sure you check the boxes on the draft picks.— alwaysphil1
- It's the right move IMO. Sounds like Reid is on final notice though!— Sportsterroy
- FIRE REID? KEEP HIM??? that is NOT the issueright now:.... Keeping reus while saying 8-8 is unacceptable makes no sense— wxdavid
- Times still his. WTF?? Scream Team!!— Will T.
- Laurie does not know what "fire in his belly: means...for him it is a bad piece of quiche, for Andy it is heartburn, for an athlete it is that incredible driving competative force which drives one to be the BEST.....and thinks second place is for the losers in life....so as long as Laurie's goal is jsut to play the game and make the playoffs we will continue to allow mediocrity to be our standard...and until he gets a backbone and the desire to "win it all" excludes everything else we are doomed to a future of no Lombardi Trophies....and as long as the koolade drinkering fans and those willing "to settle" for jsut another year (on top of 13) of the same there will be no pressure on Laurie to change or to sell and move on.......No parade again....Thanks Jeffery.....No change in sight...thanks Jeffery....No fire in your belly......thanks for nothing Jeffery— nuggett
- What is it Lurie saw from Reid and Vick in 2010 & 2011 that makes him think they will go to the superbowl? He'll get what he deserves an inept team no one seriously. Tell Lurie i'll bet him five dollar the Eagles will not make the playoffs next year, or is he too wimpy to bet too?— mario1239
- The definition of Insanity: Doing something over and over again and expecting a different result. Were in for another year of horrible clock management, exp: calling timeouts because we cant get the plays off on time!! 3rd and 1 is a passing down even though we have on of the best rbs in the league!!! Press conferences after a loss explaining that he has to put the players in a better postion to win!! Same old b.s., expect the same results!!!!— VegasBaby!!!
- I'm glad the owner has common sense. Reid needs to stay!— Norm3
- Andy is back, Times His— flphilly
- hey elm your a lame!!!— DJ_Bootleggah
- @vegasbaby... definition of insanity:... you expected a different result from Lurie?...— livingdog
- Eagles win the Super Bowl next year. They have 8 months to "gel" as a unit.— flphilly
- Reid, his coaching staff and players make the same mistakes over and over again. He has had a nice run but at some point, the coach has got to take responsibility for these failures with more than just words. They will win between 8-10 games next year but they aren't realistically going to challenge for a Super Bowl. It's time for change.— dblankj
- EVERYBODY COMPLAINS. BUT THEY KEEP ON BUYING TICKETS. SO WHY SHOULD LURIE CHANGE ANYTHING.— mjbrenner
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- Two years prior to Bill Cowher winning the super bowl for the steelers his record was 6 wins and 10 losses. Repeat for those of you who scream about Reid's deficiencies and shout that Lurie should hire Bill Cowher to take the Eages nation to the promised land... Bill Cowher, 2003 Pittsburgh 6-10!— GA eagles fan
- the only thing Jeff Lurie loves more than the Patriots is MONEY. Andy has made Jeff a lot of it and Jeff does not want to pay two coaches to do the same job so Andy will serve out the remainder of his contract. You could see this coming from a mile away.
What is completely unacceptable is the refusal to fire Howie and to hire a competent NFL talent evaluator to be the GM. While Fordham is a fine institution they do not offer How to Assess and Draft NFL Talent as part of the curriculum in order to receive your degree. Howie's last two drafts on the defensive side of the ball have been ruinous to this football team. Guess what? The Accountants don't care. The coffers are full and will remain so. Lurie and this organization are completely delusional.— coloradoeagle - Agreed. And the only way Andy gets the money from Jeff is when Jeff gets his money from those who fill up that stadium every Sunday. So, the finger now, with year 14 coming up, should be pointed directly at the PAYING FAN. During the Buddy Ryan era, there were many a Sunday when the stadium was threatened with a blackout due to the game not selling out. Many a time a local TV station bought out blocks of tickets in order to televise the game on their channel. Now, the quislings, bombarded with excuse after excuse, by being asked to buy their latest Black, Yellow/Blue or Retro jersey, by spending their summer days in Lehigh begging for an autograph are now supposed to be comforted by the soothing words of this carpetbagger from Boston. I've been through the Ed Wade era, the Braman era, the Kotite/Campbell/Moe/Rubin/Luchesi coaching era....nothing but nothing can equal the sheer arrogance towards the fanbase as the Lurie/Banner/Reid era. It's time the paying fan realizes this reality too...... — DelawareRiverRat
- San Fran has a brand new coach, with a brand new system and all brand new assistansts....and San Fran has a great 13-3 record and won their division championship....Reid has been here THIRTEEN YEARS, and has his $100 million QB Vick... and can not even make the stinkin' playoffs....LOL— frank105
- Biggest Off Season signngs need to be DJax & Shady.— dmanphilly
- I agree with bringing Reid back because, really, who else do we get to coach the team and not get overrun by Banner and Howie? To me, those guys (Joe / Howie) are the biggest liability. How does someone go from being a lawyer to being considered competent enough to be a GM? Definitely leaves them open to people like us Posters that say "We could do a better job than Banner / Howie" when, really, none of us know the first clue of being a GM in the NFL. Not sure we are much different than Banner / Howie, though, as I don't think they do either.— Matt321
- Next time Howie/Banner call a timeout in a game with 3 seconds left in the quarter let me know......btw...no extension for Andy....next year is his last. — Romus
- I didn't say Reid was a great coach, I said "Who else do we get to coach the team". Really, there are maybe 5 great coaches (Belichick, Payton, Tomlin and the Harbaughs) Who else really is there? What I was trying to do was compare the credentials of Reid with that of Banner / Howie. At least Reid played college football with a D1 team and was a coach before a head coach; Banner / Howie were lawyers before they became NFL GM's . . . that doesn't make sense. Romus, you can't possibly be a Howie / Banner fan? And how do you know this year is Andy's last? They do a deep playoff run, he'll be back even if they don't win the SB. They go 8/8 again (or worse) then I can see him getting the boot. — Matt321
- Occupy NovaCare this month.— Romus
- What else can we expect from LOSEADELPHIA, where our motto is "LOSE, LOSE, LOSE!" Our sports teams excel in losing and ripping out the fans' hearts (who continue to rip open their wallets).
LOSEADELPHIA...LOSE LOSE LOSE— warreninrochester - OMFG! Even though we all knew this was going to happen I can't wait for him to trade out of the 15th overall pick and find another BIG FAT LAZY OL or another DE/CB because they looked so good!Stay tuned for a 9-7 campaign!— exrec9
- Lurie is now officially the WORST owner the eagles have ever had! Blind loyalty to a coach who makes that many mistakes is crazy!— jtcigar
- @GA eagles fan - That 6-10 Steelers team had a rash of injuries, especially along the offensive line and Tommy freakin Maddox was their starting QB for all 16 games. Their season was comparable to the 2005 Eagles season where Reid got a pass because of all the injuries and the T.O. drama. Reid DOES NOT get a pass this year. He was responsible for much of the play calls are personnel and he was the one who hired Juan Castillo to be his defensive coordinator when proven guys were on the market. This mess is HIS.— Gigs1777
- He needs to clean out his front office staff if he wants to win a SB. Banner and Rosenman have screwed up personnel management and talent evaluation duties to often and for too long. IF Rosenman is making the draft selections this coming spring the Eagle will waste more high draft picks. This is the reason why the LB and Safety corps is so bad now. You can't waste high picks on safeties and D ends that do not work out. The Eagles have wasted 3 high picks on safeties and still do not have a quality safety corp who can cover AND tackle. They also wasted a first rounder on a DE who is undersized and injury prone. How much better would the Eagles be with Anto Rolle at safety, or Thomas at safety. How much better would their pass rush be if Pierre Paul was at DE. Those wasted picks on safeties and DE could've been used to select quality linebackers. Maybe then the LB corp wouldn't have to depend on 6th or later round picks and undrafted players. These problems were created by the front office not by the coaching staff. BANNER AND ROSENMAN MUST GO NOW IF THE EAGLES ARE EVER TO SUCCEED IN WINNING A SB!— Commonesnes
- I give up. Goodbye Eagles, I will be rooting against you until Lurie leaves town, which might be forever since you dolts will continue to fork over your money for this slop. This is all about Lurie keeping his money. He made the dumb decision to extend Andy, and now he does not want to pay for his mistake. This organization is corrupt from top to bottom. It continues to cash in on the immense loyalty of Philadelphians and to take advantage of poor souls whose meaningless lives are held ransom to this snake oil salesman.— eaglephanatic
- Lurie said Eagles were Gold Standard....now they are FOOL'S GOLD..LOL.— frank105
- Lurie said Eagles were Gold Standard....now they are FOOL'S GOLD..LOL.— frank105
- Failure, once again is rewarded by Jeffrey Bramam! You get the sense that this Owner is delusional, especially when he boasts about what a great coach we have in Andy Reid. Truth is, since 2005, Andy Reid's record is 65 and 53 with NO RINGS. We knew Lurie was bringing him back because he has 10 million reasons to do just that, but please, don't Pi$$ down our neck and tell us its raining! Just think, another year of this arrogant Land Whale telling the Fans and the Media to cram it after each and every loss! I guess that means that Soupy Sales is back as well? Lovely! Can't wait!!— younged
- Whiners Unite! The only thing you have to lose is your tears. Sob, sob, sob, the whiney little brainless whimperers didn't get their way. Red is coming back. SB in 2012!!— jjthree
- For all of the people ripping on Vick, you apparently must think that Mannings and Bradys grow on trees. Please name one available QB out there who would do a better job. It's pretty to easy to criticize, but a lot harder to come up with solutions.— Penfold18
- Since 2008 the Eagles have been going BACKWARDS...For the last 3 years each season has gotten worst and worst and this year they did not even make the stinkin' playoffs...and yet Lurie will keep the losers Reid and Vick...WOW..does anyone really think these PROVEN losers Reid and Vick will really win the Super Bowl next season....LOL.— frank105
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- Maybe it's time to push for a change in ownership. Otherwise nothing changes and there is no accountability.— Lil Ratman
- Glad he has the fire because he'll never get the ring. Kiss 2012 goodbye. Soon there will be few left alive who will even remember the Eagles 1960 championship...— bmcw
- Pitchers and Catchers how soon! I am 65 and it looks like I will eclipse another decade before the possibility (slim as it may be) of winning a Superbowl!— jakster
- Just like an ulcer. a bad ulcer....— dogman5
- Lurie is a class guy.He waited till after the WC to make the announcement.— bill the pill
- I wish Lurie had just told the truth. He should have just said "I'm making money and I don't really care about winning a Super Bowl".— Trident252
- LIBERACE LURIE, way to go Pete60!!
The definition of INSANITY is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Lurie is bringing the same dimwit back for the 14th straight year and tells us he expects a different result.
Surely he has Mental Health benefits.— RRT - LIBERACE LURIE, way to go Pete60!!The definition of INSANITY is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Lurie is bringing the same dimwit back for the 14th straight year and tells us he expects a different result.Surely he has Mental Health benefits. (HTML deleted)— RRT
- Frank are you starting to stutter?— tpizza
- And Andy will put together another "almost" next year and get a 3 year extension.
So I was watching the Eagles/Washington game and my wife says "I'm going to the mall with the kids to return stuff at Children's Place. Do you want to come or stay home and watch the game?" I said let me find my keys. Wanna take my truck or the mini-van?
True story on my current indifference to the Eagles.— woody7236 - I think he should be back next year and anything short of a Super Bowl appearance and he can pack his bags. The sheer arrogance of this organization for accomplishing no championships is amazing. And what makes Jeffrey think Reid will win one? Is it being outcoached in 3 out of 4 NFC Championships or being out coached in the Super Bowl. He is simply never going to win until he has some accountability. A coach fearing for his job does not make an offensive line coach the DC. Any other coach with a football front office would have been fired for such a move.— blackknight
- There are 2 reasons why Lurie did not can this arrogant scam artist. 1. He doesn't have the guts and 2. He loves his $$ more than winning a SB.— Bob1
- Jimmy Johnson was the best thing to ever happen to Reid. RIP Jimmy. Jimmy gone, no playoff wins.— mrdaverobi
- A lot of room in Reid's midsection to have "fire in his belly." It's suited to a big fire.— misterhman
- EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE FIRED!!!!!!!! Joe Banner, Howie Rosemen, Andy, Marty, Juan, manny, mo, jack, little mo with the gimpy leg, boney bob, cliff.......To hell with all of em...... Maybe Andy will fire Juan Castillo and make that hot dog Howard Eskin the new DC. Whatever......— Joe_The_Fan
- The Eagles don't simply need a coaching change; they need a regime change. They need to hire a GM, who will then hire his own coach. Banner needs to mind the cap, and Roseman needs to be re-assigned. How many Super Bowls have the Jets (and the Rams before them)won since they were taken over by capologists? That's right, none. Mike Francesa can't stop ripping the Jets because of the way they have handled their business; well, Mike, in spite of how much you love Reid, the Eagles aren't really any better.— 76erfn
- Some of the moves this year by AR and his staff appeared to signify that he had burn out. Little things and big things kept popping up in the play of the team, decisions made on the sideline, clock management, and offensive and defensive calls. The question is...are there times when a coach is doing his job for so long, without sufficient rest and getting away from the action this impacts his ability to coach and make sound decisions? Does his weight say something about his lifestyle, lack of exercise, mental strain and his inability to make sound decisions in critical times? Where am I going with this? Now that we know AR is coming back next year...he should make an effort to take care of himself, to be a model for good health, mental and physical....just maybe then he would be a more effective coach.— envirojoe55
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- Ah, yes, all the boo boo birdies are going cheep, cheep, cheep!— BEMiller
- Fire Joe Banner and replace him with Bill Polian.— chrisWC
- An endorsement of the status quo. The dimbulbs that run this franchise live in a fantasy land. The alleged league executives and players who think Reid is wonderful haven't had to watch his game day incompetence week in and week out. Stupid play calling, mismanagement of talent, time management disasters, etc. etc. The Eagles are run and coached by arrogant morons. Shame on the fans who continue to patronize this disgrace.— sls25
- Sweet. Another mediocre season coming up. Is 2013 here yet?— Bruno Sammartino
- This is most disappointing, but not surprising. Be prepared for another 9-7 or 10-6 season and first round exit from the playoffs. As long as Reid is coaching the team and Vick is the QB, Eagles go nowhere.— philly2sf
- Look at the bright side -- Lurie's satifaction with mediocrity + and the insanity of continued SB failure at least gives us more options for Sunday afternoons next year. Find other ways to escape, other than football. The Eagles front office is the laughing stock of the NFL.— misterhman
- Shame on Jeff Lurie! Andy Reid hasn't had a new idea in years. He still hasn't learned that good teams still have their time outs left at the 2 minute warning. He still doesn't understand the QB sneak on 3rd and 1. He'll run the ball 4 times in a row up the center when they are on the 1 yard line. I could coach better and I have no experience. Back to basics. Come up with a trick play every now and then!!!!— gargom
- I thought I was dreaming since this is/was the year of the DREAMTEAM.
Reality has set in upon learning that Andy Reid will return next seaason! WHAT A NIGHTMARE!— BandwagonBob - As a long-time Philly fan now living in Cleveland - maybe Reid turns it around, maybe not. Either way, my Cleveland neighbors would trade the Eagles past 13 years + next (including the so-so past four years) hands down for what they deal with. They love their Browns but its a pretty dysfunctional relationship. In comparison the Eagles at worst are at least interesting - unless you are a beat reporter looking for gems at a press conference. Sure this season s**ked, but relative to where I'm sitting its a high class problem.— dcott
- I'm sure Reid does have a good record AFTER a dismal season. When you're at the bottom of the barrel, there's only one way to go!— DaVinci
- The Eagles situation is not unlike the 76ers this year for a # of reasons. Both good young teams with equally good coaches ave. records & shortened seasons. I think both will be better in the coming year without wholesale changes. Bottom line turnovers killed the Eagles this year. New def. scheme with new coaches did not gel in time but look very good down the stretch. Would like to see Juan stay on as a LB/SS coach he knows the position & has the perfect attitude! Maybe a step back would be a step forward, but he's smart and very much respected by his players & that says a lot..! Best wishes to all in the New Year..!— highfive
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