NFL Coach Rankings: Where Does Eagles' Nick Sirianni Fit After Super Bowl?
The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to be in a pretty bleak situation when Nick Sirianni was hired to take over as head coach in January of 2021.
Doug Pederson had been fired after a 4-11-1 campaign that also proved to be the final season with the team for quarterback Carson Wentz. After selecting receiver Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Eagles had almost nothing in the way of depth at the receiver position. For the first time since the late 1990s, the Eagles felt like a team that was years away from being able to compete for a Super Bowl.
As it turns out, we probably underestimated the talent that Sirianni's staff was inheriting, most notably quarterback Jalen Hurts. General manager Howie Roseman and Sirianni drafted DeVonta Smith in 2021 and traded for A.J. Brown prior to the 2022 season, turning their weakness at the receiver position into a strength. Things weren't as bleak for the Eagles as the 2020 season made it seem.
But still, the Eagles are 25-11 with a Super Bowl appearance in their first two seasons under Sirianni. He undoubtedly deserves credit for the turnaround the Eagles have had since hitting rock bottom in 2020. And thus, Sirianni was ranked as the ninth-best coach in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season on our SI/FanNation countdown:
"Even if you didn't like his introductory press conference or aren't a fan of his quirky personality, it's impossible to argue with the results that Sirianni has gotten so far as the head coach of the Eagles. After going 23-11 in his first two seasons as the Eagles head coach, Sirianni lost both his offensive and defensive coordinators this offseason. How Brian Johnson and Sean Desai fare as they try to replace Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon will be the next big test for Sirianni."
As mentioned, Sirianni's next big test will be developing a pipeline to replace coordinators when they are poached by other teams to become head coaches. Andy Reid struggled to replace the late Jim Johnson as his defensive coordinator in Philadelphia. Pederson never found an adequate successor for offensive coordinator Frank Reich after he was hired to lead the Indianapolis Colts following the Eagles' Super Bowl victory in 2017.
Speaking of the two former Eagles coaches, Pederson topped Sirianni by one spot after a tremendously successful first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Reid, now a two-time Super Bowl Champion, was ranked No. 1.
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