Eagles Add Another Coach, bring in Marty Mornhinweg

Just when you thought the Eagles’ coaching staff was full and had everyone’s role and job title sorted out – kind of – the team went and added yet another assistant for head coach Doug Pederson, announcing on Thursday they hired longtime coach Marty Mornhinweg as a senior offensive consultant.

"He gets what we're doing,” Pederson told the Eagles’ web site. “He gets my vision. He understands my philosophy. He understands what my goal is and what my vision is for this offense."

Pederson told the web site that he wanted to hire his position coaches and assistants first, which is why Mornhinweg was not announced with the other newly added staff and newly created roles last month. The coach said he believes Mornhinweg is the “final piece” to the staff.

And what a crowded offensive staff it is.

Here’s the rundown: Rich Scangarello is the senior offensive assistant, Andrew Breiner the pass game analyst, Press Taylor the pass game coordinator, Jeff Stoutland the run game coordinator, and T.J. Paganetti the assistant run game coordinator.

There isn’t a single offensive coordinator in the bunch. It’s a relatively new approach in the NFL, going without an offensive coordinator. The Eagles join only the 49ers and Rams as organizations that don’t have an OC.

The game plan workflow is supposed to go this way: Taylor puts together the red zone package, receivers coach Aaron Moorehead installs third-down plays, tight ends coach Justin Peelle handles short-yardage and goal line, assistant head coach coach/running backs coach Duce Staley designs the quarterback movement plays and screens, Stoutland works the run game with Paganetti’s help, which all gets run by Scangarello and finally to Pederson.

Whew. As they say in a crowded kitchen – that’s a lot of cooks.

“For the last four years, I’ve had an offensive coordinator, and yet when it comes to game-day decisions and play calls, I’m the one that’s calling the plays,” said Pederson at the Combine last month. “The OC doesn’t do that. I thought long and hard about this. That’s why I took my time this offseason with these decisions and with Rich, putting him in a senior offensive position, and promoting Press to pass-game coordinator.”

Pederson and Mornhinweg have a long history, dating to when Pederson was the quarterback in Green Bay and Mornhinweg was the quarterbacks coach in 1996. The two also coached together on Andy Reid’s staff from 2009-12.

Mornhinweg’s role will be to oversee the entire offense since he won’t have a position group to focus on, which sort of sounds like the role Scangarello will play also.

Mornhinweg joined the Eagles in 2003 as a senior assistant and spent 10 seasons in Philly, seven of which were as the team’s assistant head coach/offensive coordinator. During his time, the Eagles went to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship Games while also winning four NFC East titles.

More recently, Mornhinweg was with the Baltimore Ravens from 2016-18 as their offensive coordinator, helping develop quarterback Lamar Jackson by transitioning the offense from pocket passer Joe Flacco to the more mobile Jackson.

“I think from that standpoint it helps from an ideas perspective – how they used Lamar, what they were doing with their tight ends,” said Pederson. “The run game is a little different and unique than what ours is. From that standpoint, having that information and knowing that structure can enhance what we're doing by bringing an idea or two from that system."