Duce Staley Is A Step In Right Direction Towards A New Coach

As the calendars turned to 2016, the Philadelphia Eagles reportedly got a jump start on their search for the 22nd head coach of the team. The Eagles kicked off the coaching carousel by bringing current running backs coach Duce Staley. There is no shortage of players, coaches, and executives across the NFL that won’t vouch for Staley’s character as both a worker or a coach. Tommy Lawlor wrote on the subject over at Iggles Blitz, and it’s important to note as he did: There is a stark contrast between coaching running backs and managing the entire team. If anyone in the organization can,  Duce might be the one.

Rushing into decisions seemed to define the Eagles in 2015. There was the power struggle over personnel supervision. There were roster fluctuations that led to unparalleled criticism and scorn from the media, players, and the fan base. And then there was the abrupt firing of Chip Kelly prior to the conclusion of the regular season. To me, the move to interview Duce however comes across as an intelligent, necessary, and thought out. He’s been humble and hard working his entire tenure with the organization.

"“I don’t know. I don’t know what it’s like,” Staley said. “I don’t know what all comes with that. Will I burn out? I don’t want to get to that point. If it comes, and I’m able to do it, cool. But if not, I’m thankful just to be a part of this game.” – Duce Staley in 2011 on being an NFL head coach"

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Staley has been a member of the Eagles’ coaching staff in some capacity since 2010. He has earned what he has accomplished within the Philadelphia coaching ranks. He also has a clear understanding about the “emotional intelligence” that owner Jeffrey Lurie is looking for in the next head coach.

That brings us to the question looming over the entire process: Is Duce Staley’s interview a legitimate job interview, or are ulterior motives in play? The first and foremost rationale many will reach to for Staley’s interview is to satisfy the Rooney Rule. Well, long story short: Yes this interview satisfies that requirement. The Eagles were criticized for their lack of effort prior to signing Chip Kelly.

In 2013 the Eagles interviewed both Keith Armstrong and Lovie Smith. It’s important to note that Lovie’s interview took place after it was reported Chip was heading back to Oregon. Armstrong was a special-teams coordinator however and some, including Donovan McNabb, shared resentment towards the Eagles and the entire process in general. The underlying conundrum is whether to get angry at a team for going through the motions?

Staley’s situation doesn’t appear to be about satisfying a rule as it is satisfying the boss. Duce has been there for the last two division title teams. He was there with Andy. He was there with Chip. He’s the only piece of consistency left that isn’t wearing a $3,000 suit daily inside the Novacare center. If the Eagles keep the hiring search to someone with ties to the area and the organization, perhaps it’s best to start in the one place your team has had any semblance of consistency?

Most, if not all, expect offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Billy Davis to be fired at the conclusion of the working day today. What Duce can do for Lurie, who’s laissez-faire approach created this entire fiasco in the first place, is to provide a clear definition of the current state of the locker room. Players such as Jason Peters might find it in them to finish the entire game on Sunday. Lurie and Howie Roseman trust Duce. With wholesale changes imminent, Duce is likely the only coach on the sidelines Sunday worthy of fluffing the Eagles brass’ ego.

Therein lies the inherent problem. The difficulty in finding a successful coaching candidate for the Eagles all depends on who is running the show. After a full calendar year of distrust within the organization we have once again found the Eagles front office reverting back to more comfortable times. When the Eagles interviewed candidates back in 1999, (then) GM Tom Modrak emphasized leadership, intelligence and passion in a prospective head coach. At Chip Kelly’s termination press conference, Jeff Lurie included this gem:

"“And another thing is attention to detail. I think all good coaches have tremendous attention to detail in this league. Lastly is you’ve got to open your heart to players and everybody you want to achieve peak performance. I would call it — I would call it a style of leadership that values information, all the resources that are provided, and at the same time, values emotional intelligence.”"

The more things change, the more they stay the same. In moving forward with the coaching search, I think it’s imperative that we remember the process involving the hiring of Chip Kelly. While Chip was clearly the front-runner for the position, the Eagles did their due diligence in the interview process. There have been multiple names linked to the Eagles, including former defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. The important thing to remember with McDermott, and any other coach for a playoff bound team (ie: Hue Jackson, whom I also prefer), is that the process has the possibility to go long into the month of January.

In just over eight hours, the 2015-16 season will be completed. A 60 minute game that will seem like an eternity will be the final chapter in a season that began with aspirations of so much more. Meanwhile, the championship drought notches it’s 55th belt. And as far as numbers are concerned, 26-21, Chip Kelly’s regular season coaching record, were the least important numbers over the course of a three year evaluation. Regardless whether Pat Shurmur notches his 10th win as an NFL head coach, the new number becomes zero. After the conclusion of today’s games, the Eagles no longer have a head start on the coaching hunt. As more firings take place on Black Monday, the Eagles will be joined by multiple franchises looking to find a new field general.

For an organization that has been recently been defined by speed (to a fault), this process must be slowed down. More importantly, it needs to be done correctly. Starting with Duce is a good enough head start. Staley is a respected member of the NFL, regardless of whether he is competent enough to be a head coach at this point in his coaching career. While the odds of Staley getting the job are as likely as his ability to spell chrysanthemum, the other more favored candidates’ likelihood of getting the job could be as simple as spelling Schrödinger’s cat.