Courtesy of Linda Ricciardi
Through all of the ups and downs between the Eagles, Andy Reid, and the Philadelphia fans, an era has officially come to an end. The Philadelphia Eagles have dismissed head coach Andy Reid of his duties. The winningest coach in Philadelphia Eagles history is no longer a member of this storied franchise.
After all of his family troubles, and the troubles with the fan base, instead of bashing Andy Reid, we need to recognize everything he has done for this organization. We all knew it was time for a change, but we can not forgot what he has done for the Eagles. "Big Red" as the players called him, took the organization to the top of the NFL. The Eagles are considered one the best franchises in the National Football League, and Andy Reid was a key part of that. Put all of the "better job
and "time's yours" jokes aside, Andy had a terrific tenture in Philadelphia.
Here are some quotes from Monday's press conference with Jeffrey Lurie:
Lurie's Opening Statement:
"We decided to make a change. We will be saying goodbye to the winningest coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. There is only one coach that can be the winningest head coach, that's the Andy Reid. I look forward to the day we bring him back as a member of the Eagles Hall of Fame."
"I dont want to understate or over state, Reid is an outstanding coach and an outstanding person."
"At many times, he didn't want to share himself with the press and he had to protect his players and protect the way he was, but having worked side by side with him for 14 years, he's a gem of a person. His dedication was incredible. His work ethic was incredible."
"We're used to winning and winning big. It's rare that we're not in the playoffs and that's what we've got to return to. The ultimate goal of winning a championship for the fans of Philadelphia."
On when the decision was made, and what went wrong:
"The final decision to fire Andy was today, I informed Andy about 9 this morning."
"I think if you had to point to something that went wrong, its making moves inconsistent with philosophy thinking it would bring title. In the last couple of years we've made decisions that were scattered, not consistent."
On the future and the new head coach:
"We have a lot of good, young players that doesn't mean we dont have a lot of holes as well."
"Yes we have assembled a list of candidates to replace Andy Reid. We have a defined list of candidates."
"I strongly believe this is the most attractive place to work in the NFL."
"The person that was providing the best talent evaluation is Howie Roseman. I decided to streamline the process. His first draft with full responsibility was 2012."
"Only structure I insist upon is that new head coach will report directly to me."
"The most important thing is to find the right leader. I'm not one to buy schemes. Find someone who is strategic, strong leader. I am looking for someone who takes risks, studies the league, and can execute it."
"Nick Foles will have every opportunity to start next year, the new coach makes that decision."
"Rest of coaching staff is under contract they'll do player evaluations they'll be free to interview for other jobs. Will let the new head coach meet them and decide."
"When we have a season like this year, its embarrassing to me. It's crushing. It's terrible."
We wish Andy Reid the best in the NFL. Today was a day that needed to happen for the organization and the city. The change was made, the future is upon us.
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