How Nick Sirianni's First Meeting with Andy Reid Could Affect Super Bowl LVII
For the most part, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni understands what went down in Kansas City back in 2013 when he and Andy Reid were like two ships passing in the night.
From a common-sense standpoint, the likelihood of a very young position coach in what was his first NFL job on a 2-14 team would be retained by any incoming coach was negligible, never mind a heavyweight like Reid, who was proven and had David Culley, a future head coach in Houston, in his pocket to not only coach his receivers but also be the assistant head coach.
Sirianni understood what his fate would be.
"Andy came in because we weren't good enough in Kansas City," the Eagles coach said. "And he stepped in and did an unbelievable job. What I appreciated is that he brought everyone in [that was being let go] and talked to them."
Reid, meanwhile, has gotten positive intell on Sirianni and saw something that just needed more polish.
"I loved his personality," Reid said. "He’s a guy that you can talk to and (he) communicates well. He’s got a fire to him that you appreciate – and the players appreciate. A personality is what I’m saying – a good personality. And he’s smart. I had a chance to talk to him and he’s a smart kid."
The gesture by Reid resonated with Sirianni as he rose up the coaching ranks in the ensuing years.
"I didn't coach with Andy, but he gave me a good example of what to do with a hard part of the job of: 'Hey, I got a guy here.' He was complimentary," Sirianni said. "He knew I would be down, so he gave me strength when I was down. I appreciated that, and it sounds like that's who he is as a person and a coach."
Fast forward to Super Bowl LVII this Sunday and Sirianni's Eagles face off with Reid's Chiefs for the Lombardi Trophy.
While coaching is a nomadic profession and everyone involved typically understands that, losing a gig before securing another can be scary and Sirianni's exit from the Chiefs came with the added complication of his personal life.
The Eagles coach met his future wife, Brett, during his time in Kansas City, and her family, friends, and profession were entrenched in that community.
"Did I want to leave Kansas City? No," said Sirianni. "My future wife was from there, we were engaged at the time, she had a nice teaching job there, she had all her friends there, her mom and dad were a half-hour down the road.
"Of course, I didn't want to leave there."
When one door closed, another opened in the form of a quality control job with San Diego.
Things slowly developed from there for Sirianni, who also got to coach receivers and quarterbacks at times with the Chargers as he sharpened his coaching acumen.
The real difference-maker for him, though, was meeting and forging a relationship with his top professional mentor, Frank Reich, who ultimately hired Sirianni to be his offensive coordinator in Indianapolis, the final staging area for Sirianni's current job as the Eagles' head coach.
"When I look at it, God's always put me in great positions and guided my paths," said Sirianni. "I know I don't say stuff like that all the time, but I know He has. And so, I needed to go to San Diego to learn, to be at a different spot, to be out of a comfort zone, potentially, to meet Frank Reich. To separate there and then go be his coordinator in Indianapolis.
"Everything happens for a reason."
That reason couldn't completely overcome Sirianni's competitiveness, however, in 2013 when the Chargers got the better of a very good Kansas City team Reid immediately turned around.
The game came in Week 12 with the Chargers winning a 41-38 shootout.
The emotion that has become familiar to Philadelphia fans over the past two seasons came out on that day for Sirianni in the press box even if fewer people saw it.
"I was in the press box standing on the (table) like this (pumping his fist. I was just so emotional about it," he said. "But as time goes on and you mature and you think about it, 'Hey, I needed to go through that, I needed to be in this situation.'
"In a sense, you thank God for the things you had to go through because it makes you who you are today."
And you use whatever you need to use to win.
"Do you always have this little chip on your shoulder? Sure, yeah, you do," Sirianni admitted. "But that's who I am as a coach and as a person - I want to make sure I'm working my butt off to get as good as I possibly can. And sure, you hold on to some of those things."
For Reid, Super Bowl LVII is much more clinical as an industry powerhouse who had a hand in helping many along the way in what is approaching a quarter century as a head coach, including Eagles GM Howie Roseman, the Pro Football Writers' Executive of the Year.
"I would not be in this position if it wasn't for Coach Reid," Roseman said. "I think about the fact that I was this 34-year-old guy and untraditional, and he was willing to have me as the GM and take the time to talk to me and teach me and be patient with this passionate, persistent person.
"It just means the world."
Whether Reid touched an up-and-comer for 10 years or 10 minutes, the knack for pushing people in the right direction is real.
"I think he’s perfect for Philadelphia," Reid said of Sirianni. "That’s a tough place and he’s a tough kid, and he relates well to those people there.”
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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
