NFL News: Chip Kelly fired by Philadelphia Eagles
With an underwhelming season for the Philadelphia Eagles, Chip Kelly found himself on the chopping block getting officially fired on Tuesday (Wednesday in Australia). The Eagles finished the season with a record of just 6 wins against 9 losses and failed to qualify for the NFL postseason, paving the way for Kelly to end a three-year stint in Philadelphia.
“I have made a decision to release Chip Kelly this evening. I spent the last three seasons evaluating the many factors involved in our performance as a team. As I watched this season unfold, I determined that it was time to make a change,” Eagles Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Lurie said in an official statement via the team’s website.
“As we move forward, the search for a new head coach will begin and will be led by myself, Don Smolenski and Howie Roseman. To the extent that we are able, we will try to keep you informed as we go through this process.”
The Eagles hired Kelly on Jan. 16, 2013 and immediately the college coach turned the Eagles’ fortunes by leading them to a 10-6 record in his first year in Philadelphia, which had a losing record of 4-12 the previous season. Coaching the Eagles was the first NFL stint for Kelly, who coached the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012.
According to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, the Eagles top brass wanted to remove personnel control for Kelly, whom the team asked to just focus on coaching. Kelly reportedly did not want that set-up and the Eagles eventually decided to fire him.
The Eagles will tap Pat Shurmur, Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator and former Cleveland Browns coach, as the interim head coach for the Eagles’ final game of the season, against the New York Giants. The Eagles also fired Ed Marynowitz, the vice president of player personnel and Tom Donahoe will assume the former’s role for the team.
The Eagles started the season with 1 win and 3 losses and appeared to recover midway through going 3-1 in their next four games. However, they suffered three consecutive losses from Week 10 to Week 12 that put the team in a difficult situation in their aim to qualify for the postseason.