In the NFL, success comes with a price. Winning results in your opponents poaching your coaches and players, forcing you to constantly revamp your roster and coaching staff. The Philadelphia Eagles have experienced this reality several times during the Nick Sirianni era. Unfortunately, the former Eagles coordinators who have seemingly gone on to greener pastures aren't necessarily thriving in their new destinations.
Former Eagles Coaches Are Learning the NFL Reality the Hard Way
Kellen Moore was hired as the New Orleans Saints' head coach in the spring following his success in his lone year in Philadelphia. He made former Eagles QB coach Doug Nussmeier his offensive coordinator in his first head coaching gig. So far, things haven't gone well for the two in New Orleans. The Saints are 1-4 and have the 27th-best offense in the NFL. With an aging roster and minimal salary cap flexibility, the Saints' future is bleak, and the rebuild will take a long time. Moore will need time and patience to be able to succeed, and that can be hard to come by in some organizations.
Another former Eagles coordinator who has secured a head coaching job in recent years is Jonathan Gannon. After leading the Eagles' defense to second in yards allowed and eighth in points allowed in the 2022 season, Gannon was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as their head coach. He has yet to have a winning season or a postseason appearance, and is sitting at 2-3 this season after three straight losses. Considering how easy their schedule has been so far (playing the Saints, Panthers, and Titans already), it's not looking good for the Cardinals.
To make matters worse, Gannon found himself embroiled in an embarrassing controversy in Week 5. Following running back Emari Demercado dropping the ball before crossing the goal line, Gannon completely lost control on the sideline and was seen hitting his player on the arm. He revealed later that he apologized to the team afterwards, but was still fined by the team $100,000 for the altercation. This made him the first head coach to be fined for an altercation with a player in over three years, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
While Gannon had every right to be furious with his player there, he clearly demonstrated poor judgment. So much of coaching is player management, and if you can't keep your cool when communicating with your players, how good you are in X's and O's becomes completely irrelevant.
Moore and Gannon demonstrate how much of a learning curve there can be in transitioning to head coaching. Both were immensely successful as coordinators in Philadelphia, but are learning the challenges of head coaching the hard way. Whether they can turn things around soon and join Shane Steichen in bringing some pride to the Nick Sirianni coaching tree remains to be seen.