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Eagles Add NFL Player-Turned-Coach to Help During Preseason

The Eagles will invite FIU assistant coach Kenechi Udeze to training camp and preseason as part of the Bill Walsh Coaching Diversity Fellowship.
ByJovan Alford|
Nov 10, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and head coach Nick Sirianni watch a play in the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Nov 10, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and head coach Nick Sirianni watch a play in the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles are about to embark on the next phase of the offseason, which is OTAs, beginning this coming week. However, before the defending Super Bowl champs get together in a couple of days at the NovaCare Complex, head coach Nick Sirianni is making a notable addition to his coaching staff.

Florida International University announced on Friday that assistant coach Kenechi Udeze was selected for the Bill Walsh Coaching Diversity Fellowship and will join the Eagles for training camp and the preseason.

This will be Udeze’s second time participating in the fellowship. The first time he did it was in 2013 with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings drafted Udeze in the first round of the 2004 draft from USC. 

Udeze played four years in the NFL with the Vikings before dealing with a serious medical issue in 2008 – acute lymphoblastic leukemia (a blood cancer), forcing him to go on injured reserve. 

Udeze tried to return to the football field in 2009 after receiving chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant from his brother. But he retired from the game due to peripheral neuropathy in his feet. 

After he hung up his cleats, Udenze got his bachelor’s degree from USC in 2010 and jumped into coaching. The former NFL defensive lineman worked at the college ranks at Washington (2009-11) in various roles (assistant strength and conditioning coach, also worked with the defensive line).

He also worked at the NFL level with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012 as an assistant defensive line coach.

From there, Udeze coached at the University of Pittsburgh (2014 – assistant strength and conditioning coach) and his alma mater, USC (2015-18, assistant strength and conditioning coach, and assistant defensive line coach).

After that, Udeze worked at LSU (2019 – defensive analyst), Vanderbilt (2020 – linebackers), Tennessee Titans (2021-22 – assistant defensive line coach), and the University of Houston (2023 – pass rush specialist).

Udeze coached the outside linebackers at FIU last season and will help coach the defensive line under new head coach Willie Simmons. With all that being said, this is a great opportunity for Udeze to learn from Sirianni and veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who had the Eagles’ defense playing at a high level en route to winning a Super Bowl.

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