The 3-0 Eagles are the hottest team in the NFL right now, and with success comes poachers from the opposition looking to lure your best coaches away.
When hiring Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia assembled one of the NFL’s youngest coaching staff, and that dynamic group will soon be broken thanks to their versatility and vast talents.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr listed the top 65 potential NFL head coaching candidates for 2023. The Eagles had four assistant coaches on the list, with their offensive coordinator landing the top spot.
Shane Steichen, Offensive Coordinator
Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator took over the playcalling duties in 2021, and the Birds have flourished from there.
Steichen started his NFL coaching career in Cleveland in 2013 as a quality control coach.
He moved to San Diego the next season as a quality control coach for 2014-2015. The 35-year-old took over the Chargers offense last year and was OC for the 2020 campaign in which Justin Herbert exploded onto the scene.
Well, the first one is in order. Steichen is our top candidate for the 2023 season. In the pressing search for the next great offensive-minded head coach, Steichen seems to have slipped between the cracks despite a strong track record. He was instrumental in preparing Justin Herbert for his surprise rookie season (Herbert was thrust into a starting role with almost no preparation) and has been equally important in the development of Jalen Hurts—the Eagles’ offense is behind only Miami, Kansas City and Baltimore in terms of efficiency. It’s not hard to see their multifaceted approach, which helps Hurts and the Eagles transcend the idea of a “system,” being copied around the league. Steichen is a mastermind at creating mismatches and had a roster trending in the right direction with a rookie receiver as the primary passing threat in ’21 before Philadelphia upgraded their talent set.
Jonathan Gannon , Defensive Coordinator
A hot name on the 2022 coaching carousel, Gannon should undoubtedly land a job in 2023 as long his defense doesn’t have a meltdown.
Before joining the Eagles, Gannon was Colts’ defensive backs coach since 2018, when Frank Reich’s staff took over in Indianapolis. Gannon played a considerable role in developing several young defensive backs at his prior stops.
If you had taken a drink every time Troy Aikman said “Jonathan Gannon” during the Eagles’ Monday Night Football dismantling of the Vikings in Week 2, you would have needed a stomach pumping. This is for good reason, though. Gannon was high on the Texans’ wish list a year ago and interviewed with the team before they promoted Lovie Smith. This offseason, Gannon’s list should be far more substantial. His Eagles defense is currently the third-most efficient passing defense in the NFL. As a complement to its offense, the unit is versatile and ever-changing to fit the strengths of its personnel.
Brian Johnson, Quarterbacks Coach
As quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State under Dan Mullen, Johnson helped develop the 2016 NFL Rookie of the Year Dak Prescott and led the Bulldogs to three consecutive bowl games.
At Florida, Johnson turned Kyle Trask from backup to likely first-round pick.
Johnson helped lead Houston’s offense to 436.1 yards per game, good enough for 35th nationally during his time there. His trio of quarterbacks: Kyle Allen, D’Eriq King, and Kyle Postma, combined for 2,887 passing yards, 539 rushing yards, and 27 total touchdowns.
Johnson has a high-powered offensive lineage, as Dak Prescott’s quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State, an offensive coordinator and QB coach at the University of Houston under Major Applewhite and a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for Dan Mullen, who is well-liked in NFL circles. Now, in Philadelphia, he’s had a critical role in developing Jalen Hurts into a top-tier quarterback.
Nick Rallis, Linebackers Coach
Rallis is the brother of WWE Superstar Riddick Moss, now known as MadCap Moss.
Rallis joined Philadelphia’s staff after he finished his fourth season of coaching and 3rd as the Vikings’ defensive quality control coach in 2020.
Before joining the Vikings, Rallis spent the 2017 season as a graduate assistant at Wake Forest.
During his time with the Vikings, Rallis assisted the defensive staff and worked under co-defensive coordinator/LBs coach Adam Zimmer. He crossed paths with then-new Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon during the 2017 season.
Another young hire, the 27-year-old Rallis played linebacker at the University of Minnesota from 2012-16.
Rallis, 29, is one of the youngest position coaches in the NFL and is in a great spot alongside the rising Jonathan Gannon. Thought of as a defensive coordinator in the making, Rallis started his coaching career at Wake Forest before working for the Vikings under Mike Zimmer in a quality control role. He’s been with the Eagles since 2021.
