Eagles' Nick Sirianni Reveals Advice From Legendary College Coach: 'You're The Hunter'

PHILADELPHIA - "Let's Hunt" was the simple slogan the Philadelphia Eagles adopted en route to a Super Bowl LIX championship

The conventional wisdom entering the 2025 NFL season, which starts Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field when the Eagles host NFC East rival Dallas, is that Nick Sirianni's team turns into the hunted.

Cowboys Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith offered up a hint of what the Philadelphia Eagles can expect this season as the reigning Super Bowl champions.

“Obviously, they have a talented defensive front, defending champions and whatnot. I think the biggest key though, is physicality,” Smith, a 2023 second-team All-Pro, told The Athletic's Jon Machota this week. “Ultimately, I think that’s what this game is gonna come down to is just who’s the most violent in the trenches.

“And I think that’s something that we’ve embraced this whole training camp and this whole offseason. And it’s something that we’re gonna put on display on Thursday.”

The Eagles need to be ready for everyone’s best shot.

Heck, the three-win Cleveland Browns came into joint practices in August looking to make a statement and put their best foot forward at the NovaCare Complex.

In an effort to better handle being on top of the mountain, Sirianni has sought advice from several outside voices who have had a demonstrated performance of sustaining success.

Hunt Or Be Hunted

Aug 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni looks on during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sirianni revealed another when appearing on SiriusXM’s NFL Radio this week.

“I had an interesting conversation with [UConn women’s basketball coach] Geno Auriemma and what he said is forget all that being hunted stuff,” Sirianni said on “Let’s Go! With Jim Gray. “In your DNA, you're the hunter, right? You've always been the hunter. That's why you won the Super Bowl last year, why you went to the Super Bowl the couple years before. You're the hunter.

“You go out and be what's in your DNA and you give them your best shot.”

Serving as UConn's head coach since 1985, Auriemma has a college basketball record of 12 championships, 19 undefeated conference seasons (including eight straight), and six perfect campaigns. He has also won eight national Naismith College Coach of the Year awards.

Perhaps no one in North American sports has had more experience navigating from the pole position than Auriemma, who has refused to accept that conventional wisdom of taking the opponent’s best shot.

If you keep hunting it’s unlikely you’ll be hunted and Sirianni is typing to tap into that mindset.

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