These searching for shade may need to sit below Andy Reid’s teaching tree.
Whereas Reid has been chief to among the biggest offenses the league has ever seen, he additionally deserves numerous credit score for co-activating new leaders at his stops with the Eagles and the Chiefs
Teaching timber within the NFL are, largely, overrated, however there’s one thing in regards to the Reid tree that is borne good fruit: three coaches have reached the Tremendous Bowl, two have received it, and most of them have some measure of playoff and division success of their NFL careers. All of Reid’s assistants who’ve gone on to have head teaching alternatives — except only one — are nonetheless within the league in 2020, chatting with the standard of assistants “Massive Purple” has employed by means of the years.
With offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy ready within the wings for a head teaching gig, this is a have a look at the numerous successes of Reid’s teaching tree:
MORE: Invoice Belichick’s teaching tree failures
Andy Reid teaching tree
Sean McDermott
- Expertise: Buffalo Payments, 2017 to current
- Head teaching document: 62-35
Sean McDermott, who served in varied roles below Reid between 2001 and 2010, has been the person in cost in Orchard Park since 2017. Since then, the returns have been largely good: McDermott’s Payments have completed below .500 simply as soon as (6-10, 2018), and have three consecutive AFC East titles.
McDermott has achieved effectively to encompass himself with an distinctive employees and has coached up younger expertise to the perfect of their skills. The sixth yr of McDermott’s might have has been his finest, leading to a 13-Three document and a playoff berth in 2022, their fifth whereas he is been coach.
John Harbaugh
- Expertise: Baltimore Ravens, 2008 to current
- Head teaching document: 147-95; Received Tremendous Bowl 47
Hiring a particular groups coordinator as a head coach is not all that frequent, but it surely’s one which’s actually labored out for Harbaugh and the Ravens.
Harbaugh was the long-time particular groups coach of the Eagles between 1998 and 2007, pre-dating Reid in Philadelphia by a yr. He obtained his first crack at a head-coaching gig with the Ravens, and it turned out to be the correct transfer for each side: The Ravens received the Tremendous Bowl in 2012, on the arm of Joe Flacco and a beautiful protection.
Harbaugh and the Ravens are 52 video games over .500 since taking the job, with a Tremendous Bowl ring and 4 division titles in a troublesome AFC North. Harbaugh, now 60, might have to determine future playoff appearances with out Lamar Jackson, with rumors of a cut up coming this offseason.
Matt Nagy
- Expertise: Chicago Bears, 2017-21
- Head teaching document: 34-31
Nagy has been saddled with a reasonably unlucky quarterback scenario in Chicago, resulting in an up-and-down tenure within the Windy Metropolis. Whereas the QB scenario has blown, Nagy had the Bears within the playoffs in 2018 and 2020, and obtained what he might out of Mitchell Trubisky and others.
Nagy oftentimes got here below hearth for his play-calling and gameplans, and that a lot was evidenced throughout his one and solely season with Justin Fields on the helm. He was fired following the 2021 season with a 6-11 document.
Doug Pederson
- Expertise: Philadelphia Eagles, 2016-2020; Jacksonville Jaguars 2022-present
- Head teaching document: 51-45-1, received Tremendous Bowl 52
When the Eagles moved on from Andy Reid, it was a divorce of boredom over one in every of despise.
Effectively, when Doug Pederson was employed, it was a reuniting of Reid and Philly of kinds: Pederson was working below Reid as offensive coordinator with the Chiefs when “Massive Purple” made the bounce to Kansas Metropolis in 2013.
Pederson’s 2020 season proved to be his final, with turmoil and stress between the Tremendous Bowl-winning coach and proprietor Jeffrey Lurie effervescent as much as the purpose of Pederson’s dismissal. Pederson wound up with the Jaguars in 2022 after taking a yr away from the sport, serving to lead the Jags to an AFC South title — and serving to develop Trevor Lawrence within the course of.
Ron Rivera
- Expertise: Carolina Panthers, 2011-19; Washington Soccer Group/Commanders, 2020 to current.
- Head teaching document: 98-90-2
There are few that convey respect and integrity across the sport that Ron Rivera does. Rivera labored below Reid as his linebackers coach between 1999 and 2003, earlier than stretching his legs as a defensive coordinator with the Bears and Chargers earlier than touchdown with the Panthers as head coach in 2010.
Together with Cam Newton, Rivera received the NFC South 3 times and made it to Tremendous Bowl 50, shedding to the Broncos in a blowout. No disgrace, although: Rivera stored his job and his popularity for the following three seasons, making the bounce to Washington following his firing from Carolina in 2020.
Regardless of a 7-9 debut season for the Washington Soccer Group in 2020, “Riverboat Ron” immediately introduced a modicum of respect and competitiveness to a staff that had been missing each for years. Rivera hasn’t fairly discovered the quarterback scenario in Washington, but, however ought to he, the Commanders might make some noise within the NFC East.
Todd Bowles
- Expertise: Miami Dolphins (interim, 2011; New York Jets, 2015-18; Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2022-present.
- Head teaching document: 34-50
Bowles had a couple of stops earlier than touchdown below Reid for a season, leaving this as one thing of a tangential piece of Reid’s teaching tree. Nonetheless, Bowles went on to construct a reasonably stable protection with the Cardinals between 2013 and 2014 earlier than getting the Jets job in 2015.
Bowles’ ultra-conservative model did not assist the Jets win video games exterior of his first yr, however roster administration and normal organizational dysfunction advised extra of the story of his tenure. He obtained his subsequent shot as a head coach within the wake of Bruce Arians’ retirement with the Buccaneers, placing collectively an underwhelming 8-9 season his first yr on the helm.
Pat Shurmur
- Expertise: Cleveland Browns, 2011-12; Philadelphia Eagles (interim) 2015; New York Giants (2018-19)
- Head teaching document: 19-46
Shurmur was Andy Reid’s longtime quarterbacks coach (2002-08) working with Reid since 1999 over. Shurmur lastly obtained a shot as an OC with the Rams in 2009 and 2010 earlier than touchdown with the Browns head-coaching gig in 2011.
What adopted wasn’t only a automotive crash of epic proportions, however two: Shurmur was a catastrophe with the Browns (9-23 over two seasons) and the Giants afterward (additionally 9-23). Whereas Shurmur latched on once more as an OC with the Broncos, he was fired alongside Vic Fangio in 2022. Do not anticipate him to get any extra head teaching appears.
Leslie Frazier
- Expertise: Minnesota Vikings, 2011-2013
- Head teaching document: 21-32-1
Very like Bowles, Frazier’s tenure with Reid was maybe too tangential to place him on right here (with Eagles between 1999 and 2002). Whereas Frazier’s stick with the Vikings was finally not encouraging, he is caught across the league as a high quality defensive coordinator for the higher a part of twenty years. He continues to get head-coaching interviews, too, so there could also be one final job in him.
Steve Spagnuolo
- Expertise: St. Louis Rams (2009-11), New York Giants (interim 2017)
- Head teaching document: 11-41
Earlier than successful a Tremendous Bowl with the Giants because the defensive coordinator in 2007, Spags frolicked with the Eagles between 1999 and 2006 in varied teaching roles. Whereas his protection is intricate and difficult, that did not translate to wins as a head coach, faltering at his cease with the Rams between 2009 and 2011. It did, although, lead him to 2 championship rings as a DC — one with the Giants and one again with Reid and the Chiefs in 2019.
Brad Childress
- Expertise: Minnesota Vikings (2006-10)
- Head teaching document: 39-35
The curious case of Brad Childress stays the weirdest story of the teaching tree disciples of Reid.
Whereas Childress’ offenses have been typically extra good than unhealthy, he by no means actually caught as a coordinator after his exit from Minnesota, touchdown with the Chiefs and Reid once more later in his profession.
Childress would retire after 2017 and finally un-retire to rejoin Matt Nagy (alongside whom he labored with in KC), earlier than retiring once more in 2020.
