Reid, the winningest coach in franchise history who was fired after a disappointing 4-12 season, reached out to Kelly, owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman in the club’s first coaching search since the end of the 1998 season.

Kelly made it a point to mention Reid during his introductory news conference Thursday.

“One person I want to thank, in terms of advice in this whole thing, is Andy Reid,” said Kelly, who decided to leave Oregon after going 46-7 in four seasons. “And the fact that Andy reached out to me and told me about his experience here just told me what this organization is all about. There’s not a classier guy. When Andy texted me (Wednesday) when I accepted the job, I told him I had really, really, really big shoes to fill. And in typical Andy fashion he said, ‘Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.’ So I publicly just want to thank Andy, because that really spoke to me about what this organization is all about.”

Lurie echoed Kelly’s sentiments, saying that Reid still wants the best for the franchise that he guided for 14 seasons.

“We have such a close relationship over the years that the trust is all there,” Lurie said. “It’s a very special rapport we have with Andy. He reached out to most of the top candidates to tell them what it’s like to work with myself, with (general manager) Howie (Roseman), with (president) Don (Smolenski), what the organization is all about, how obsessed with winning and doing it the right way.”

Lurie previously had said that potential coaching candidates wanted to speak with Reid to get a feel on how the Eagles’ organization operates. The Eagles were known to have interviewed 11 coaching candidates.

“If I’m a head-coaching candidate, the one person I really want to talk to is Andy Reid,” Lurie said. “Most of them did their due diligence and reached out to Andy. In that sense, it was an important part of the process that they would reach out to them. I have a close enough relationship with Andy where I can probably eliminate some candidates if Andy felt that they weren’t good enough in that sense. That’s how close we are. I know what he feels about Chip Kelly and it’s outstanding.”

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Billick, who coached the Baltimore Ravens for nine years and led the franchise to its only Super Bowl championship, interviewed with the Eagles last Monday, according to sources.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and president Don Smolenski already have interviewed eight candidates since firing Andy Reid on Dec. 31, one day after the team completed a 4-12 season.

Billick hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2007, when the Ravens went 5-11 for their second losing season in three years.

The 58-year-old Billick compiled an 80-64 record in Baltimore, guiding the Ravens to four postseason appearances. He won a championship in just his second season, as the Ravens routed the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV following the 2000 campaign.

The Eagles also will interview Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden on Monday and Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians on Tuesday.

This is the third time Lurie is hiring a new coach since he bought the team from Norman Braman in 1994. He hired Ray Rhodes on Feb. 2, 1995, after a long, exhaustive search that included a flirtation with former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Lurie needed less time to hire Reid, giving him the job on Jan. 11, 1999.

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Bradley is helping the Seahawks prep for their playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He’s been the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator since 2009, and the team’s defense allowed a league-low 15.3 points per game this season.

If Bradley is their guy, the Eagles can’t officially hire him until the Seahawks are eliminated from the playoffs.

The 46-year-old Bradley has emerged as a favorite among fans in Philadelphia based mainly on an old video clip in which he goes off on the Seahawks’ defense during a game.

“Well, it’s flattering. And I know people talk about our entire focus is on Atlanta and it really is,” Bradley said after Thursday’s practice. “It’s so important to us. We worked so hard to get to this point and our whole message to the team is to keep raising the bar and getting better and better every week. They’re talking that and we’re talking that, so it’s easy to stay focused on it. It’s flattering as you’ve all heard before. But our entire focus is on Atlanta and trying to get one step closer.”

Bradley began his NFL coaching career with Tampa Bay as a defensive quality control coach in 2006. He was the Buccaneers’ linebackers coach the next two seasons before going to Seattle. Bradley coached in college from 1990-2005, including two stints at North Dakota State and four years at Fort Lewis College.

“He’s got a brilliant football mind,” Seahawks coach Peter Carroll said this week. “He’s got a way of reaching people and touching people and getting the best out of them, coaches and players alike. He’s got everything that you’re looking for.”

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and president Don Smolenski already have interviewed seven candidates since firing Andy Reid on Dec. 31, one day after the team completed a 4-12 season.

One of those interviewed, Brian Kelly, announced Saturday that he was staying at Notre Dame.

The Eagles also will interview Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden on Monday and Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians on Tuesday.

This is the third time owner Lurie is hiring a new coach since he bought the team from Norman Braman in 1994. He hired Ray Rhodes on Feb. 2, 1995, after a long, exhaustive search that included a flirtation with former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Lurie needed less time to hire Reid, giving him the job on Jan. 11, 1999.

The post Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley interviews with Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday appeared first on IdealCapper.

Bradley is helping the Seahawks prep for their playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He’s been the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator since 2009, and the team’s defense allowed a league-low 15.3 points per game this season.

If Bradley is their guy, the Eagles can’t officially hire him until the Seahawks are eliminated from the playoffs.

The 46-year-old Bradley has emerged as a favorite among fans in Philadelphia based mainly on an old video clip in which he goes off on the Seahawks’ defense during a game.

“Well, it’s flattering. And I know people talk about our entire focus is on Atlanta and it really is,” Bradley said after Thursday’s practice. “It’s so important to us. We worked so hard to get to this point and our whole message to the team is to keep raising the bar and getting better and better every week. They’re talking that and we’re talking that, so it’s easy to stay focused on it. It’s flattering as you’ve all heard before. But our entire focus is on Atlanta and trying to get one step closer.”

Bradley began his NFL coaching career with Tampa Bay as a defensive quality control coach in 2006. He was the Buccaneers’ linebackers coach the next two seasons before going to Seattle. Bradley coached in college from 1990-2005, including two stints at North Dakota State and four years at Fort Lewis College.

“He’s got a brilliant football mind,” Seahawks coach Peter Carroll said this week. “He’s got a way of reaching people and touching people and getting the best out of them, coaches and players alike. He’s got everything that you’re looking for.”

Owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and president Don Smolenski already have interviewed seven candidates since firing Andy Reid on Dec. 31, one day after the team completed a 4-12 season.

The Eagles also will interview Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden on Monday and Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians on Tuesday.

This is the third time owner Lurie is hiring a new coach since he bought the team from Norman Braman in 1994. He hired Ray Rhodes on Feb. 2, 1995, after a long, exhaustive search that included a flirtation with former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Lurie needed less time to hire Reid, giving him the job on Jan. 11, 1999.

The post Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to interview with Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday appeared first on IdealCapper.