Former Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach passes at 78 years young

Longtime Colts assistant Howard Mudd also left a mark on the Philadelphia Eagles.

When we look back on the great coaches of the NFL, whether you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan or a fan of the other 31 teams, we’ll always remember the great minds of the game we love. Vince Lombardi falls in that class. So does Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick.

Then, there are the assistants. Jim Johnson never rose to the ranks of head coach, but he’s one of the great assistant coaches of all time, turning defense into a weapon for the ‘Birds’ from 1999 until 2008. He’s one of the greatest Eagles ever.

Howard Mudd will, more than likely, be remembered as one of the great Indianapolis Colts as he spent two stints there, 1998 to 2009 and again in 2019, though he’d step down from his role as a senior offensive assistant before the regular season began in 2019. He was an Eagle too though, having spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons there after being coaxed out of retirement in February of 2011.

Mudd leaves his mark on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mudd paced the sidelines as the team’s offensive line coach at Lincoln Financial Field and paid huge dividends immediately. Philly gave up 17 fewer sacks in 2011 than they did in 2010 during his first run with the franchise, and LeSean McCoy, behind a re-energized offensive line, was the league’s leader in rushing touchdowns when the curtain closed on the season.

Life is short though, even for a man that spent 40 years in coaching and another seven on the field as a player. On August 11th, he left us at 78 years of age.

We all take a moment to tip the cap to him as his earthly story ends on August 12th of 2020. Who knows? maybe he and Jim Johnson are in Heaven drawing Xs and Os in the dirt. Thanks for everything Coach Mudd! Your family is in the hearts and minds of the ITI staff.