Eagles CEO says coach following Kelly needs people skills

The Eagles entered the season with Super Bowl expectations, still are 6-9.

Chip Kelly has been sacked as Eagles head coach the breaking news out of Philadelphia radiating across the sporting world just two days before the New Year.

Kelly’s record in almost three seasons as Eagles head coach was 26-21. Since Mar. 2014, Kelly let go three-time Professional Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, traded two-time All-Professional running back LeSean McCoy, did not re-sign 2014 Professional Bowl wideout Jeremy Maclin, cut two-time Professional Bowl guard Evan Mathis & traded quarterback Nick Foles & a 2016 second-round draft decide for Sam Bradford.

“We appreciate all the contributions that Chip Kelly made and wish him every success going forward”, Lurie said in a statement.

Kelly was given expanded power by Lurie over personnel decisions last offseason, with Howie Roseman’s title changed to executive vice president of football operations.

Smolenski has been president of the Eagles since 2012, and he’s held a major role on the business side of the franchise since 1998, the year before the team hired Andy Reid. The Eagles are 6-9 after going 10-6 two years in a row. The patchwork offensive line certainly made life hard for Murray, but the former workhorse was also thoroughly outplayed by fellow running backs Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles. This wasn’t a college coach out of place in the NFL.

Barring an upset at home against Baylor in the Big 12 opener this weekend, Kansas should be number one when they welcome in an OU team that could be #2 on Big Monday. He immediately went to work making bold moves to reshape the Eagles’ roster to his liking – moves that were either setting him up to look like a genius if they worked, or setting the Eagles up for disaster if they failed. To me it’s a valuable decision you have to make as a head coach. When I first heard that Foles-for-Bradford trade last spring, I assumed it was the Eagles who were getting the favorable draft picks to go with it. Instead it was the Rams.

“You’ve got to open your heart to players and everybody you want to achieve peak performance”, Lurie said Wednesday in a thinly veiled critique. Certainly they always play things close to the vest, but no reporters, national or local, expect the team’s owners to actually move on from him.

This season the Eagles rank last in the league in time of possession while Kelly’s tactics have been criticised by fans.

And then there’s the fact that Kelly was sacked in Philadelphia for a reason.

Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will take over as interim head coach for the Eagles’ regular-season finale against the New York Giants this Sunday.

Garrett’s winning percentage with another 2 1/2 seasons under his belt remains lower than Kelly’s.