The Two-Minute Drill: Nick Sirianni – Philadelphia’s coach
By Brendan Nordstrom
“Fairly smart, but not super smart,” Jeff McLane, a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, reported through Twitter.
“Really, this guy won over the room, Philly?” Brad Evans, a former American soccer player, wrote on Twitter.
“If you can, hug an Eagles fan today,” Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning Quarterback account tweeted.
That was Jan. 29, 2021. The Philadelphia Eagles were coming off of a 4-11-1 season, sitting among the dregs of the NFC. They had let go of head coach Doug Pederson due to mutual frustration, and among the sea of candidates, the Eagles chose Nick Sirianni over finalist Josh McDaniels. The comments above were warranted following Sirianni’s opening press conference, where he talked in circles about “systems,” mispronounced the owner’s name and committed a circus of other errors.
Just 745 days later, FOX’s camera crew slowly zoomed in on Sirianni’s opal-colored eyes, slowly welling with a tear, eventually drifting down his cheek before a parade followed during the national anthem of Super Bowl LVII. In just two seasons, Sirianni, through all of his antics and flower analogies, led the Eagles to the best record in the entire league at 14-3 and a trip to Super Bowl Sunday. This didn’t stop the backlash.
New York Giants safety Julian Love took a seat at the Good Morning Football table two weeks prior to the Super Bowl. When asked about Sirianni’s antics, Love implied anyone could coach the Eagles.
“[Sirianni’s] a guy who’s doing a good job because he’s not getting in the way of his own team,” Love said. “He’s in for a free ride right now.”
The Eagles’ head coach is far from blameless for these critiques. He has a fierce competitive spirit, no doubt, but it manifests itself in borderline childish, near-classless ways. Sirianni celebrating into the camera during the Eagles’ 38-7 victory over the Giants in the Divisional Round prompted this answer from Love. Another clip went viral in the Super Bowl in which Sirianni mocks the Kansas City Chiefs defense amidst a booth review.
As the tears rolled during Chris Stapleton’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Sirianni wasn’t thinking about the Love’s or anyone else’s criticism, but everything that led to his place in Arizona.
Sirianni, an obscure coaching choice back in 2021, has had his validity in doubt since that press conference on Jan. 29. During that same Divisional Round game against the Giants, another clip of Sirianni went viral. After trying to draw the Giants offsides on a 2-point conversion, Sirianni audibly yells, “I know what the f– I’m doing.” If it wasn’t evident before, Sirianni’s journey to the biggest stage was one among many storylines heading into the Super Bowl.
Sirianni’s NFL coaching journey started on the sidelines of Arrowhead Stadium in the Kansas City red and gold. When new head coach Andy Reid stepped in, Sirianni wasn’t retained on staff. Over 10 years later, Sirianni shared the sideline with Reid in contention for the most prized possession in the NFL: the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Prior to the Super Bowl, Sirianni said he appreciated how Reid handled his dismissal and used it as motivation.
“Do you always have this little chip on your shoulder? Yeah,” Sirianni said. “Sure, you hold on to some of those things.”
However, Sirianni has shown time and time again that he does know what the f– he’s doing.
On the headset, Sirianni has turned a four-win team into a nine-win team, improving by another four wins the next season. His league-leading aggression gives his team an edge in tight spots, and his ability to lead and make players buy into his system is undeniable.
The best move Sirianni has made as a coach is the growth fostered with his quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts, another man constantly in doubt by the football community, had Sirianni in his ear for the past two years in what has been an incredible development.
It was even evident during the game. Following a momentum-shifting fumble by Hurts during a designed QB run, Sirianni showed trust in his quarterback. The next drive, Sirianni was undaunted to run a near-identical play. Even after the heartbreaking loss, Sirianni went to the press conference emphasizing his support of Hurts.
“To me, Jalen played the best game I’ve seen him play in the two years that we’ve been together,” Sirianni said. “He was outstanding.”
That press conference allowed Sirianni’s true colors to shine. After a controversial holding call that ended Philadelphia’s Super Bowl dreams, Sirianni could have been upset. Instead, he went up there and gave his quarterback and the rest of the team a confidence boost at a time when it was most deflating.
Sure, Sirianni is a spectacle at times, but maybe that’s his appeal. Where closed-off and cliche-filled coaches draw ire and boredom, Sirianni brings fire and an undeniable personality. He’s a break from the convention – something the NFL needs to embrace more. With a team on the bubble of greatness, there are few coaches better in the league, and none better for this Philadelphia team.