:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/6510329/20120410_kdl_am8_158.0.jpg)
This current Eagles coaching search may be the most exhaustive in league history. When the Eagles said they would "leave no stone unturned" they were not kidding. Ruben Frank is reporting that the team interviewed former Ravens head coach and current FOX color guy Brian Billick on Monday in Baltimore. Frank says that Billick is considered one of the "leading candidates."
Billick has one major thing that no other guy the Eagles have interviewed has... a Super Bowl ring. Billick led the Ravens to a championship in 2000. Overall, as head coach of the Ravens, Billick was 80-64 in the regular season and 5-3 in the playoffs. He made the playoffs in 4 of 9 seasons in Baltimore.
Perhaps the most impressive thing on Billick's resume is the staff he was able to build in Baltimore. Here's the list of guys that served under him that became head coaches.
Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-2011)
Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals (2003-present)
Mike Nolan, San Francisco 49ers (2005-2008)
Rex Ryan, New York Jets (2009-present)
Mike Singletary, San Francisco 49ers (2008-2010)
Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons (2008-present)
David Shaw, Stanford (2011-present)
Current 49ers OC Greg Roman also served under Billick and could be added to that list very soon. When you consider how important it is for a head coach to be a manager and assemble a great staff, there's few guys who have done that better than Billick.
It's interesting that Billick's name has hardly come up in the course of this search and yet Jon Gruden has arguably been the fan's top choice, at least if you go by sports radio. Both have a Super Bowl ring, both left the NFL at almost the same time, both have had successful broadcasting careers... They're remarkably similar candidates and yet one guy is half the fanbases' dream and the other guy has been a bit of an afterthought.
That said it does beg the question, if you're going to interview Billick, why not interview Gruden? But again, if the Billick interview happened in secret a week ago, who's to say they haven't?