Eagles interview Marrone, Kelly
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Eagles interview Marrone, Kelly
Les Bowen
Friday night, the Cleveland Browns had all but signed Chip Kelly as their new coach. Today, Kelly seems to be interviewing with the Bills and the Eagles, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Eagles officials were en route to Arizona Saturday morning, a source close to the situation confirmed. That's where Kelly remained after his Oregon Ducks defeated Kansas State Thursday night in the Fiesta Bowl.
But Arizona also is where the Eagles are going to interview Syracuse coach Doug Marrone this weekend, a source close to the situation told the Daily News.
Marrone, 48, has the NFL background that seems important for a college coach making the transition -- he was Sean Payton's offensive coordinator in New Orleans for three years before he took the Syracuse job, and was the Jets' offensive line coach before that.
Marrone interviewed with the Bills on Friday.
Eagles officials are scheduled to be in Denver Sunday to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.
Various reports say Kelly remains close to a deal with the Browns, but it is interesting that he is going through with other interviews. Interesting enough for your Eagletarian to offer up the Kelly story that originally was supposed to go in SportsWeek Saturday, before the Kelly-to-Browns reports erupted Friday evening.
Here it is:
By Les Bowen
GLENDALE, Az. --- In games, Andy Reid's offense was never noted for the brisk pace of the play-calling, but when Reid coached the Eagles, he did demand a high tempo in training camp and in practice. "On the hop!" Reid would bark whenever his players lagged, getting in and out of huddles.
If the Eagles hire Oregon coach Chip Kelly to succeed Reid, practice will get a turbo boost. Kelly is known for preparing at a fire-drill pace, with loud music blaring, as a challenge to get players ready for hostile enviornments.
Kelly yells "Tempo! Tempo! Tempo!" at his Ducks.
Nick Aliotti, Kelly's defensive coordinator at Oregon, who has spent 20 years at the school in three different coaching stints, was not a huge fan of this approach when Kelly first took over for Mike Bellotti in 2009.
"I hated it. The pace in practice was so fast, you don't have time to coach your guys," Aliotti, raspy-voiced, said late Thursday night in a University of Phoenix Stadium hallway after the Ducks' 35-17 Fiesta Bowl victory over Kansas State. "But we've learned that that's OK. The more reps we get and the faster we play, the easier it is on game day. Then we teach 'em off of film (instead of stopping practice.) I would never want to change that."
Aliotti said he does have time for on-field instruction, during individual drills. But once the whole team is practicing, corrections are made off the film, not live.
"We go as fast and as hard as we can for as long as we can, and then we cut the plays off that we need to cut off in film session ... You throw it all at 'em and see what sticks," Aliotti said. "Eventually they get it, if you keep doing everything over and over and over."
Aliotti, who spent three years in the NFL as an assistant in the '90s, was asked the question everyone is wondering, as Kelly, 49, begins to sort through NFL possibilities. Will Kelly, who has never coached in the pros, translate to the NFL?
"Absolutely. If you're a good football coach, you're a good football coach,"Aliotti said.
Kelly wouldn't talk about the NFL while he was preparing for the bowl game. Afterward he said he would confer with agent David Dunn and see what Dunn had lined up for him. He said he wanted the matter settled quickly.
Reports indicated Kelly would stay in Arizona this weekend to interview with the Browns, the Bills and the Eagles, something the Eagles have not confirmed. But they also did not confirm their Thursday interview with Penn State coach Bill O'Brien until O'Brien announced he was staying at Happy Valley and the matter was moot.
One reason college coaches haven't often translated well to the NFL is the workload. NFL hours are much more demanding, particularly in the offseason. Aliotti said he didn't think that would be a concern with Kelly.
"The guy's a very sharp, witty, intelligent person. He's a football junkie. he's not married, he has no kids. That allows for a lot of football," Aliotti said.
Kelly is an offensive coach. If his Oregon setup is any indication, he will hire someone to run his defense and won't meddle.
Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews, who played at Oregon, said Kelly would come over and watch the defense here and there but didn't really get involved.
"Chip has not said one word to me on the headset in four years as a head coach," Aliotti said. "He's never been in a meeting, he's never questioned a call. He's never said anything when we've played badly. He doesn't say a whole lot when we've played well. He's left me completely alone. It's been unbelievable autonomy. It's been a fantastic relationship. I really appreciate it."
Kelly came to Oregon as offensive coordinator under Bellotti in 2007, from New Hampshire, where he'd played as a defensive back and then coached since 1994. Aliotti said that in his interview, Kelly made a huge impression on Bellotti's staff, but they came away sensing Kelly didn't really want to leave his home state.
"We all called him and talked him into taking it. We liked the person, we liked what he was all about. We liked the energy," Aliotti said. "Maybe we all felt or saw something. All of us, assistantwise, called him and told him to take the job.
"He was not gonna take it, but he finally came to his senses."
Kelly got off to the worst start imaginable as head coach, after succeeding Bellotti in '09. The Ducks went to Boise State and suffered an uninspired upset loss, 19-8.
Running back LeGarrette Blount punched a Boise State player after the game and Kelly ended up suspending him for the year. A fan named Tony Seminary wrote an angry letter to the coach, alleging "consumer fraud," and noting that he'd wasted $439 traveling to the game.
Kelly sent Seminary a check for $439, which Seminary never cashed, and later returned to Kelly. The gesture received national notice, and helped give Kelly a national profile.
People around the program say the most important thing about Kelly is not the run-option spread offense he has pioneered, but the atmosphere he has fostered. Since that pratfall at Boise State, the Ducks don't seem to have games where they don't show up, or look flat. That seemed a possibility in the Fiesta Bowl, with one-loss Oregon disappointed not to be playing for the BCS title, but the Ducks took a 15-0 first-quarter lead.
Oregon is not a hotbed of high school football talent, but Kelly is 46-7 there. The 2012 Ducks were an overtime loss to Stanford away from playing in the championship game. That speaks very well of Kelly as a strategist and teacher, but it also might have something to do with why a lot of people think he might be willing to leave.
The NCAA has investigated the Oregon program's ties to a Houston-based trainer and advisor to high school players named Willie Lyles. Oregon paid Lyles $25,000 for a dubious "recruiting package" of information.
No sanctions have been announced, but they are said to be looming. It's very difficult to build a national program at Oregon in the first place; if the Ducks were to lose scholarships or suffer a bowl ban, Kelly might not be able to produce the kind of results that will keep the NFL so intrigued.
"Our players, we have a great relationship," Kelly said after the Fiesta Bowl. "I want what's best for them, and I think they want what's best for me."
Chip Jelly is not the guy Philly needs, wants, will get...no way. I say Jay Gruden or McCoy are better fits. Jay might entice Jon to help out on offense!— BirdinParadise- Not the right match. It sounds like he had no defensive experience and doesn't care too. In Philly that won't go over well. This city would be pissed at seeing a poor defense give up 30 points a game. Even if we scored 50 points every game and won them all.— Tiller
- Offense wins games, defense wins championships.— watsonmr
- Very true. And Watsonmr, you asked me earier who I like, I am not the one sitting down to interview them so its possible they might say a deal breaker there or something, but based on all the information available my top choices would be Gus Bradley, Lovie Smith, or Jon Gruden. Then the 2nd group of guys would be like Mike McCoy, Mike Nolan, Ken Whisenhunt, and Doug Marrone. Guys that arent my top choices but might still do somewhat well. Alot of failed Head Coaches in one city go on and win a superbowl in thier 2nd stint, so a guy that looks "bad" now could actually win a superbowl, and would be a solid choice. An up and coming guy who is younger will also be just as hungry and a good choice. What you dont want, is a gimmicky coach, or a college guy with 0 NFL experience, which Chip Kelly is both. He would want scrambling QB's which will get injured in his dumb system and accomplish NOTHING in the NFL. HE WILL NOT WIN A SUPERBOWL IN HIS FIRST STINT WITH AN NFL TEAM, WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE HIS ONLY STINT. Gus Bradley, Jon Gruden, Lovie Smith, or Ken Whisenhunt...could all win a superbowl here in my opinion. Those are probably the best 4, with the best chance to win.
- zwarte...you seem to have some interest in the subject. didn't figure you for the marshmallow type...I thought you would be more like the Sam Champion style— Friend to All
- So if they won all their games and the superbowl we'd be pissed. Da— tkeagle
- Don't know a lot about Marrone, but Syracuse had some real good games this year.
Antfort is right to bring up Spags, if he's available. Sometimes second time around is the time for young NFL head coaches.— armchairGM - Eagles needs a smash mouth, physical type of coaching, defense minded like Bengals Zimmer, Seahawks Gus Bradley, 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, 7 teams made the playoff using running gm, defense minded it- Vikings, Redskins, Seahawks, Bengals, SF, Texans, Ravens. so with no more to said Chip Kelly is not fit to run the Eagles, Im tire of this passing happy offense and lets get back to ground and pound go Eagles.— T.K.O
- Is there another Harbaugh brother out there somewhere? Even a sister would do.— PsychoPathetic1
- Gimmicks don't last. Remember the wildcat?— ej610
- When Andy Reid came to the Eagles most of the fans said "Andy Who". I was one of them. He played or coached over his head for the time he was here. Trotter testified to that. I just hope he finds another JiM Johnson . god rest his soul Because he will need another one. He owes MR Johnson a lot. Ask Trotter.— RICKY101
- Kelly will suck in the NFL , his spread offense will fail against good defenses as will be evidenced tomorrow when Seattle shuts down the skins. Good defensive coordinators will pick up on its flaws and will make it obsolete in two years
- McCoy is the man to get with Nick Foles as the QB— Bigmowash
- Whatever Howie Roseman wants to do.....do the opposite.— Ernie Garman
- I have a legitimate honest question.Why are Eagles only considering Jay Gruden and not Jon ??Jon WON a superbowl his 1st year with Tampa with what previously was considered a talented but under achieving team.
I'm asking and honestly don't know.— Ernie Garman
