Add another intriguing name to Eagles’ defensive coordinator search

 

The Eagles have interviewed former Wisconsin coach Jim Leonhard for their vacant defensive coordinator position, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.

Leonhard, 40, was most recently the Badgers’ defensive coordinator and interim head coach but was not retained on Luke Fickell’s staff.

While he has never coached at the NFL level, Leonhard played a decade in the league for several different teams after making his way as an undrafted defensive back. Leonhard played 10 seasons in the NFL with 142 games and 73 starts under his belt with the Bills, Jets, Ravens, Browns and Broncos.

After he began his career as a defensive backs coach at Wisconsin in 2016, he quickly began to work his way up the ranks, becoming the defensive coordinator in his second season as a coach at his alma mater.

Leonhard was the Badgers’ defensive coordinator until midway through the 2022 season when Paul Chryst was fired. Leonhard then took over as the interim head coach. Leonhard had a 5-3 record as the interim coach.

Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards played under Leonhard at Wisconsin. Edwards is a pending free agent.

The Eagles are looking to replace both coordinators this offseason after both DC Jonathan Gannon and OC Shane Steichen were hired away any the Cardinals and Colts, respectively.

The top candidate to replace Steichen is quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson. It’s expected that Johnson will be promoted.

But the defensive coordinator job is a little more in question. The top candidate might be an internal promotion of DBs coach Dennard Wilson, but the Eagles are clearly looking around.

In addition to the Leonhard interview, the Eagles were also reportedly interested in interviewing Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai and former Cardinals DC Vance Joseph.

Meanwhile, Gannon is hiring former Eagles linebackers coach Nick Rallis to be his defensive coordinator in Arizona.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-interview-former-wisconsin-coach-jim-leonhard-vacant-dc-job-report

 

One way you can measure a coach is by the kind of people he bring in to be coordinators.  Love that Siri is thinking long and hard about who can fill that role.  I don't know a lot about these guys, though.  

49 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

 

Was just coming to post a new link about this.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/two-more-candidates-emerge-eagles-defensive-coordinator-vacancy-report

28 minutes ago, time2rock said:

Was just coming to post a new link about this.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/two-more-candidates-emerge-eagles-defensive-coordinator-vacancy-report

I won't pretend to know who would be best. I guess I'm leaning toward Jim Leonhard

3 hours ago, pgcd3 said:

 

I am intrigued by Minter as well. Lots of experience as coach on Ravens and then ran the D at Michigan last year who were good and made it back to CFP despite all the talent lost to the NFL (Hutch, Ojabo, Hill)

3 hours ago, pgcd3 said:

I won't pretend to know who would be best. I guess I'm leaning toward Jim Leonhard

Same here.  I don't think we need to become a blitz heavy team like some seem to think.  But I do think we can be more creative with our blitzes and better disguise them ... knowing when and how to blitz is more important than blitzing more.  Also someone who can better disguise coverages and would be nice to run more man-press.  I just don't know who fits the bill.  

 

 

Hiring Vance will be a disaster. 

Funny how all the reports are interviews with DC's, but not a peep about OC.  If the Eagles are just promoting Johnson, do they still have to satisfy the Rooney Rule?

As for DC...I don't know who would be the best fit.  I kinda like the idea of Leonhard...former UDFA who carved out a career and now has done well in the college ranks.  It may give him a really good perspective on things. 

I do wonder how involved Roseman/Lurie are in the DC search and if they are (or will) have sway over Siri in the final decision.  I certainly hope they're letting Siri make the decision without any pressure.  I believe that was part of the downfall with the Eagles and Pederson...Roseman and Lurie pressuring Pederson about his offensive staff.

12 minutes ago, EaglesAddict said:

Funny how all the reports are interviews with DC's, but not a peep about OC.  If the Eagles are just promoting Johnson, do they still have to satisfy the Rooney Rule?

As for DC...I don't know who would be the best fit.  I kinda like the idea of Leonhard...former UDFA who carved out a career and now has done well in the college ranks.  It may give him a really good perspective on things. 

I do wonder how involved Roseman/Lurie are in the DC search and if they are (or will) have sway over Siri in the final decision.  I certainly hope they're letting Siri make the decision without any pressure.  I believe that was part of the downfall with the Eagles and Pederson...Roseman and Lurie pressuring Pederson about his offensive staff.

If we are promoting Johnson, isn't that satisfying the Rooney Rule (since he is black)?  

22 minutes ago, time2rock said:

If we are promoting Johnson, isn't that satisfying the Rooney Rule (since he is black)?  

My understanding is they need to interview an external candidate (maybe 2) regardless 

40 minutes ago, time2rock said:

If we are promoting Johnson, isn't that satisfying the Rooney Rule (since he is black)?  

Did you just quote me and ask the same question? 

19 minutes ago, EaglesAddict said:

Did you just quote me and ask the same question? 

 I was insinuating that hiring him would indeed satisfy the rule (but I was wrong).  

5 minutes ago, time2rock said:

 I was insinuating that hiring him would indeed satisfy the rule (but I was wrong).  

Just looked it up and yeah, apparently the rule states teams must interview at least one external minority candidate.  So, wonder who the token interview will be...and speaking of token interviews, that's the downside of the Rooney Rule.  In cases like this, people know that they're just interviewing because the team has to interview someone.

The DC interviews are legit.  But any minority candidate for the OC position is just going to be a sham interview.

12 minutes ago, EaglesAddict said:

Just looked it up and yeah, apparently the rule states teams must interview at least one external minority candidate.  So, wonder who the token interview will be...and speaking of token interviews, that's the downside of the Rooney Rule.  In cases like this, people know that they're just interviewing because the team has to interview someone.

The DC interviews are legit.  But any minority candidate for the OC position is just going to be a sham interview.

The logic is that going through an interview helps better prepare the candidate for future interviews

23 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

The logic is that going through an interview helps better prepare the candidate for future interviews

That makes sense IF the person going into the interview is expecting that is the purpose of the interview.

While Vance Joseph’s scheme is appealing and counter to Gannon and Schwartz, he’s failed at utilizing his scheme with several teams. Never cracked the top 10 defensively. Sure, it could have been the players he was working with to a degree, but a good DC can/should make it work - he hasn’t. 
Hard pass. 

4 minutes ago, Southparkeagles said:

While Vance Joseph’s scheme is appealing and counter to Gannon and Schwartz, he’s failed at utilizing his scheme with several teams. Never cracked the top 10 defensively. Sure, it could have been the players he was working with to a degree, but a good DC can/should make it work - he hasn’t. 
Hard pass. 

He’ll be hired today and fired next off season. 

 

10 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

 

sucks but it is what is, there's other great candidates out there.

17 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

 

Lawlor seemed to like him the best of the candidates mentioned thus far.

http://igglesblitz.com/2023/02/more-dc-candidates/

 

13 minutes ago, time2rock said:

Lawlor seemed to like him the best of the candidates mentioned thus far.

http://igglesblitz.com/2023/02/more-dc-candidates/

I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt to make the right decision until I see the product on the field.

39 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

 

bb 2.0 getting best college ranked coaches, i love this.