Sources: Philadelphia Eagles Hire Nick Sirianni, Indianapolis Colts' Offensive Coordinator, As Head Coach
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Jeffrey Lurie has found his next head coach. The Eagles on Thursday hired 39-year-old Nick Sirianni, the Indianapolis Colts' offensive coordinator, as their next head coach, according to sources.
Sirianni was the Colts' offensive coordinator for the past three seasons, with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich at the helm. Under Sirianni, the Colts were ninth in scoring at 28 points-per-game and 10th in yards at 378 yards-per-game.
The Colts were a top-10 offense under Sirianni in two of his three years as offensive coordinator.
Colts were 9th in scoring (28ppg) and 10th in yards this year (378)
— Dan Koob (@SporttradeKoob) January 21, 2021
Indy had a top 10 offense in 2 of his 3 years as OC, the outlier being when Andrew Luck retired prior to the 2019 season https://t.co/EyzUpnaGwv
Sirianni broke into the NFL in 2009 as a quality control coach with the Kansas City Chiefs. He worked his way up, becoming a wide receivers and quarterbacks coach moving from Kansas City to the San Diego Chargers and eventually Indianapolis.
Sirianni was the right-hand man of Reich, who oversaw Carson Wentz's career year in 2017 with the Eagles.
Even though they haven't officially said it, this hire indicates the Eagles are looking to rehabilitate Wentz and they think Sirianni is the guy to do it.
He is the fifth head coach of Lurie's tenure as the Eagles' owner.
The Eagles interviewed 10 candidates before hiring Sirianni.
The Eagles fired Doug Pederson, the only head coach to lead the franchise to a Super Bowl title, on Jan. 11. Pederson was fired after a second meeting with Lurie following a 4-11-1 season.
Lurie said it was "in both of our best interests to part ways."
"It's been a disappointing season, but going forward again, you have to make tough, tough decisions, and after talking to Doug again today, it just felt like the path forward was best for us to part ways," Lurie said.
Pederson, after the firing, called it an honor to coach the Eagles.
"Although I am disappointed that this chapter of my career has come to an end, I am extremely proud of what we accomplished together. Through all the ups and downs, one thing remained constant about our team -- an unwavering commitment to battle through adversity and to achieve our goals not as individuals, but as a collective unit. There is no better example of that than when we celebrated the first Super Bowl Championship in Eagles history together with our city. That is a memory we will all cherish forever," Pederson said in a statement.
Pederson was aware his performance would be evaluated but previously said he didn't want out of Philadelphia. Pederson had two years left on his contract and didn't want to give up on Philadelphia after one losing season.
However, the backward slide was evident this season and not just on the field. The offense looked stale, finishing 26th in scoring and 28th in passing yards.
The trust between Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz reportedly was fractured and reports say it's more likely they keep Wentz now that Pederson is gone.
The Eagles were 42-37-1 in the regular season under Pederson's reign and 4-2 in the playoffs.
Pederson coached the Birds to the first Super Bowl title in franchise history in Super Bowl 52.
CBS3's Don Bell contributed to this report.
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