After the firing of Doug Pederson on January 11, the Eagles began their search for a new head coach. Ten days later owner Jeffery Lurie announced the signing of Nick Sirianni, the Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator. Sirianni, who is 39, has been coaching at a high level ever since he graduated college. However, with seventeen years of coaching experience, this will be his first head coaching job, and only time will tell if he was the right hire.

Sirianni began his coaching career in 2004 as the defensive backs coach at the University of Mt. Union, a Division III school in Pennsylvania. In 2004, Mount Union went 12-1 and won their conference. The defense gave up an average of only 10.9, points per game, and had two shutouts, which is nothing short of dominant. The next year, they went 14-1, surrendering only 9.8 points per game, and they won their conference again, won a bowl game (the Stagg Bowl), and were named NCAA Division III National Champions.

Sirianni then left Mount Union after a stellar two years and was named the wide recievers coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). In 2006, IUP went 8-2, while putting up 26.1 points per game and won the PSAC West Championship. In 2007, IUP went 9-3, and averaged an absolutely ridiculous 38.5 points per game, including an 80-point game in their season opener. In 2008, IUP went 7-3, and put up 38.5 points per game again.

The NFL was the next step for Sirianni, as the Kansas City Chiefs hired him as their offensive quality control coach. Quality control coaches look over film, attempting to find patterns in the oppositions play style that can be used against them. That season, the Chiefs were flat-out not good and went 4-12. They were last in their division and missed the playoffs.

The following season, in 2010, he was moved to be the assistant quarterbacks coach. The team took a major leap forward and went 10-6, winning their division. Their success in mainly attributed to the great play of four Pro Bowlers, including QB Matt Cassell, who Sirianni worked with closely. Despite the great regular season, the Chiefs got destroyed in the Wild Card Round by the Ravens.

In 2011, Sirianni was moved back to the position of offensive quality control coach. The team took a step back, and without Sirianni at his side, Cassell did too, starting only nine games before he was injured. Those nine games were poor, throwing only ten touchdowns, along with nine interceptions. The team went 7-9, were last in the division, and missed the playoffs

The following season, Sirianni was moved from his offensive quality control position to the wide receivers coach by new head coach Romeo Crennel. The team went a horrendous 2-14 and missed the playoffs.

In 2013, Sirianni joined the division rival Chargers, as the offensive quality control coach. The Chargers went 9-7 and missed the playoffs, while the Chiefs went 11-5 and made the playoffs.

In 2014, Sirianni was moved to the quarterbacks coach. In 2014, the team went 9-7 and missed the playoffs. The next year, they went 4-12 and finished last in the division. In Sirianni’s last year as the QB’s coach (2016), the team went 5-11 and missed the playoffs, though the man Sirianni worked with, quarterback Phillip Rivers, made the Pro Bowl. Sirianni only spent part of the year as the quarterbacks coach and was moved to the wide receivers coach.

However, WR Keenan Allen made the Pro Bowl, with over 100 catches and near 1,400 yards.

In 2018, Sirianni accepted the position of offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, where we would work under head coach Frank Reich. In his first year as the OC, the team went 10-6, and won a playoff game before getting beaten up on by the Chiefs. He also had three offensive players make Pro Bowls: QB Andrew Luck, TE Eric Ebron, and LG Quenton Nelson (also 1^st team All-Pro).

In 2019, the Colts went 7-9 and missed the playoffs. With Andrew Luck having retired, it was Jacoby Brissett leading the offense, and he struggled. However, the offense had three Pro Bowlers: TE Jack Doyle, C Ryan Kelly, and Quenton Nelson (1^st Team All-Pro once again).

In 2020, Indy went 11-5 and made the playoffs, though they lost in the Wildcard round to Josh Allen and the Bills. Thirty-nine year old Phillip Rivers and Sirianni reunited in Indianapolis, and Rivers had a solid year with 4,169 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Colts had two more Pro Bowl nods: C Ryan Kelly (second-straigh Pro Bowl) and Quenton Nelson (1^st Team All-Pro again).

During the offseason, Sirianni interviewed for the Eagles head coach position, and was soon hired. Sirianni has had a positive impact on individual players, and has produced great talent, though he has struggled come playoff time, never making it past the second round. As this is Sirianni’s head coaching gig at any level, it will be interesting to see if he can make the pieces fit and make a playoff push, and it will be even more interesting to see how he handle the quarterback controversy between Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts.