After an extensive search that included Michigan’s Jesse Minter, Georgia’s Glenn Schumann, and NFL assistant coaches Vance Joseph and Chris Shula, the Philadelphia Eagles hired Sean Desai, a 39-year-old Vic Fangio pupil and the first Indian American coordinator in NFL history.
Desai has strong ties to the region and has built a growing reputation over his coaching career — most recently with the Chicago Bears (2021), where he served as defensive coordinator, and the Seattle Seahawks (2022), where he was associate head coach and defensive assistant.
Desai’s defenses are known for two-high safety looks and pre and post-snap disguises meant to confuse the opposing quarterbacks, a system designed to limit explosive plays.
The Eagles will utilize carry-over from Gannon’s system, and they’ll continue the tradition of getting to the quarterback with pass rushers, eliminating the need for heavy blitz packages.
With Day 2 of practice set to begin, here are takeaways from Desai’s first press conference.
Desai wants to be felt
Desai has said all the right things about his retooled defense being more physical, something that would be a distinct difference from Gannon’s units.
"We want people to be able to feel us. Physically, mentally, emotionally."
Sean Desai reiterating from the spring what he wants the #Eagles defense to be.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) July 28, 2023
“The one thing that we’ve agreed on and we’ve talked about as a staff and a group is there’s a certain mentality that we want to reflect,” Desai said. “I really believe the city’s teams got to reflect the city, and we’ve got some grit, we’ve got some toughness, we want to be able to impose our will.
“We’re not going to take really anything from anybody.”
This defense will be accountable and they’ll swarm in waves.
Desai will have pass rushers by committee
Eagles DC Sean Desai says it doesn’t matter who gets first team reps, etc it’s just making sure everybody get reps and be given a fair chance to compete for a job pic.twitter.com/3iiPa8LN7t
— Ed Kracz (@kracze) July 28, 2023
Desai on the city of Philadelphia
Embody the brand of the city #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/hThaFDI0QT
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 28, 2023
John Clark
“We want to play a physical brand of football”
-New Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai says they will be forming their identity at training camp. He says they are not complacent and will find the best 11 to play the defense pic.twitter.com/vq5ajWLF31
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) July 28, 2023
Gannon approach to limiting big plays
#Eagles DC Sean Desai on sharing the stance of eliminating explosives: Oh yeah … that’s our organizational philosophy.”
On the young CBs behind Slay, Bradberry, and Maddox: “They’re young, they’re competing, they’re working hard.” pic.twitter.com/MSAYDjij5h
— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) July 28, 2023
Desai on Nakobe Dean
Sean Desai says Nakobe Dean has done a good job so far. Desai said he’s thrown a lot at the defense early during install. pic.twitter.com/yGtzD2bBGs
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) July 28, 2023
Desai on getting better each day
Eagles DC Sean Desai stresses it’s only Day 2 of training camp, the objective right now is to get everyone reps. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/j4eRTKkfKn
— O.J. Spivey (@OJPhilly) July 28, 2023
