Mike Mayock called into 97.5 The Fanatic Thursday to give his take on Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly.
“He is highly charismatic. He is very much a CEO,” said Mayock. “He understands how to hire people, he understands how to delegate. But when it comes to his offense, he’s the guy. He’s a play-caller, and I’m not so sure I believe in that in the NFL at this point.”
The term “CEO” is interesting, because it was used by Howie Roseman this week when talking about what it takes to do this job.
The Eagles’ coaching search took a sharp left turn Wednesday night when reports surfaced that the team has expressed interest in Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly.
Kelly interviewed with the Birds on Tuesday, one day after the Fighting Irish were blown out by Alabama, 42-14, in the BCS title game.
Of all the candidates who have been linked to the Eagles – and there have now been 11 total – Kelly is perhaps the most surprising name. He said as recently as last week that leaving was “not an option.” But as we know by now, what coaches say and what they do can be two different things.
So the obvious question is this: Is Kelly just leveraging NFL interest into a more favorable deal at Notre Dame? We’ve already seen Bill O’Brien and Chip Kelly interview with NFL teams before going back to their respective college gigs. Is Brian Kelly doing the same thing?
The Eagles are looking to the college ranks once again.
The team is interested in Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and have already interviewed him, a league source confirmed to Birds 24/7. It is unknown if the interest is mutual, and Kelly is said to be out of the country.
Rumors cropped up Wednesday that Jon Gruden was spotted in Philadelphia, leading to speculation that he may be in town to interview for the Eagles head coaching job.
If he is in town it does not have anything to do with the local team, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Howie Roseman surfaced briefly Wednesday to talk about the coaching search.
No, he did not tip his hand, but did speak in generic terms to the team’s website about the process, which is now in its second week. Plus, a Mike Zimmer update.
Will 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman get a look for head-coaching jobs? Does Jay Gruden have any intention of leaving Cincinnati? Did the Eagles lose out on Mike Pettine? Here’s the latest coaching buzz around the NFL.
Add another name to the Eagles’ list of interviews.
Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman and Don Smolenski will meet with former Bears coach Lovie Smith on Thursday, the team announced.
Smith, 54, spent the past nine seasons in Chicago. The Bears went 81-63 (.563) under his direction, making the playoffs three times. Chicago was 3-3 in the playoffs and advanced to the Super Bowl in 2006.
Saban responds to questions about a possible future in the NFL, while a local product keeps an eye on the Eagles’ moves.
Until all five of the remaining head-coaching openings are filled, Jon Gruden’s name is going to continue to come up.
The Gruden conversation revolves around two key questions:
1. How interested is he in returning to coaching?
2. How interested are teams in bringing him on board?
There have been plenty of rumors, but Ron Jaworski has discussed the possibilities directly with Gruden.
With five head-coaching jobs still available around the NFL, several assistants figure to get interviews this week.
Many of the names being mentioned – Gus Bradley, Mike McCoy, Jay Gruden - were unfamiliar to Eagles fans as recently as a few weeks ago. But if you happen to be engaging in conversation today about who Andy Reid’s successor should be, chances are, you’re throwing around some bigger names.
We’re talking about names like Nick Saban.
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Sheil Kapadia has been writing about the Eagles since 2008. His previous Philly.com blog, Moving the Chains, was named one of the best in the state by the Associated Press. Sheil's main joys in life are family, football and finding good parking spots.
Tim McManus is a bulldog reporter with a nose for news and story angles that will get people talking. He'll talk about it himself on 97.5 The Fanatic, where he serves as a host and Eagles beat reporter. Tim, an award-winning journalist, will be with the team around the clock.
