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Now that Doug Pederson has officially been hired as Philadelphia's head coach, it's up to him to fill out his coaching staff. According to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are set to hire Pederson's top choice for offensive coordinator: Frank Reich.
The Eagles' interest in Reich was first reported by the Daily News. The 54-year-old Reich was fired by the San Diego Chargers in January after spending two seasons as the team's offensive coordinator. The Chargers' offense ranked 13th in yards and ninth in points in 2014 but then dropped to 21st and 20th in 2015. Note that Reich only has two years of play-calling experience. Pederson does not have extensive play-calling experience.
Like Pederson, Reich has experience as a quarterback in the NFL. He played for four teams from 1985 through 1998. After his playing career was over, Reich got his NFL coaching career started with the Indianapolis Colts. Here's a general overview of his experience:
- Indianapolis Colts (2008) - (Offensive coaching staff assistant)
- Indianapolis Colts (2009–2010) - (Quarterbacks coach)
- Indianapolis Colts (2011) - (Wide receivers coach)
- Arizona Cardinals (2012) - (Wide receivers coach)
- San Diego Chargers (2013) - (Quarterbacks coach)
- San Diego Chargers (2014–2015) - (Offensive coordinator)
There's no question the Chargers had success passing the ball during Reich's tenure. San Diego ranked 10th in passing yards in 2014 and fourth in 2015. Their running game, however, was abysmal. The Chargers ranked 30th in rush yards in 2014 and 31st in 2015. In fairness to Reich, the Chargers had a lot of injuries and offensive line issues.
The Reich hire could mean former offensive Pat Shurmur won't return to Philadelphia. Shurmur was named interim head coach after Chip Kelly was fired and interviewed for Philadelphia's vacancy but the Eagles chose Pederson instead.