Reid: I Alone Fired Juan, More to Come
Philly.com, Inquirer, and Daily News coverage of the Eagles
Reid: I Alone Fired Juan, More to Come
Les Bowen
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."
A classic sign of a bad coach: surrounding themselves with incompetents who can be jettisoned when you need a scapegoat. The problem is, Reid will run out of them before the season is over.— NM Eagle fan- Jim Johnson, John Harbaugh, many others...nice try. — Penfold18
- You make good points Pen, but Reid did not hire Harbaugh he did choose to retain him at Lurie's urging. But McDermott got dropped after a season with no players. He hired weak coordinators to replace Harbaugh and Childress I believe, I don't even remember their names. — Sidewinder7
- And since you bought up the legendary Jim Johnson it is no surprise at all that this team hasn't done a damn thing since his passing. — Sidewinder7
- What an absurdity!
We've become the laughing stock of the NFL, again. Reid's brilliant, all-in move of promoting Castillo has back-fired dramatically.
The whole McNabb-Kolb-Vick scenario was conducted like a bad elementary-school play and it's just been one thing after another
The Kolb selection set this team back more than 5 years. We should have gotten the pieces needed to remain in SB contention. Instead, we "traded for the future." Well, the future is now and we're worse off than when it all began.
Reid has made too many bozo, head-scratching moves, and to this very day, he refuses to run the ball and/or call plays to protect his QB.
Reid's gotta go! - I got this off the AP, after Andy Reid dealt with the number 1 problem with this team, the defense he is addressed the number 2 issue by releasing place kicker Alex Henery because 11 of 12 just did not cut it. Other changes expected on defense and special teams as they were bringing the offense down somehow...— Sidewinder7
- gET rID oF mORONwIG ASAP! Brad was better and maybe he could take over again. — bonnerlou
- Vick is going to be benched. If you don't see the handwriting on the wall you are blind.— guyguy4
- One down, three to go. Reid, Morningwig, Roseman and bench Vick. It's a sad thing to say but I hope the birds loose every game left. Maybe that will FINALLY be the nail in the coffin.— LAFlyer
- May as well because they're not going anywhere this year with the current cast of characters. Another wasted year out of my ever shortening life. WTF!! Reid HAS TO GO!!! — essell
- People have been calling for changes (and I remember Castillo's name being mentioned often), but when Andy finally pulls the plug, everyone is "shocked", "stunned", and saying it's a "panic move". Castillo was simply overmatched, and Bowles will be a good replacement. The message wasn't getting through by just getting rid of a player a week, so Reid raised the ante. I just hope Reid has the cojones to bench Vick when he makes his next turnover. He benched McNabb, so I believe he will.— dlscholt
- Do you feel that the defensive coordinator was more at fault then: the head coach, the offensive coordinator, the quarterback? If you do, then I question if you watch the games. I don't think anyone was a big fan of Castillo, but there are much larger problems then the defense. — Sidewinder7
- Sure, there are more problems than the defense, but none was easier to correct. Bowles was right there to take over. If you think Andy's going to get fired before he has 8 losses this year, you're fooling yourself. Lurie has said he has the season to turn the ship around, and you can bet he won't fire Reid until the season is lost with 8 losses. As to Vick, I expect a benching on his next bad performance, which is sure to come within the next 2-3 games, as stated above. Replacing Mornigwheg (Sp?) is a bit more difficult, as the direct replacement is not already on-staff, as Bowles was. But Reid says more changes are to come, so let's see. Yes I do watch the games, and I see Castillo's firing as a good first step. — dlscholt
- "Castillo was simply overmatched" - and it took this long to figure it out? Marty is the one that should have gone. — Sheriff Bart
- Philly.Com is right the offense will improve now because I dont think they can be any worse.— urbnasty
