Latest Eagles coaching buzz: team confirms interview with Doug Pederson, Tom Coughlin next

The Eagles continue to proceed onward with their search for Chip Kelly’s successor, but little by little the field of available coaches is beginningto thin out.

This past weekend a lot happened, as the Eagles confirmed an interview with Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson and have been linked by rumors to Super Bowl winning former head coach Jon Gruden. They also are expected to meet with former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin.

Here’s a look at how things currently stand in the ever-changing landscape of NFL coaching.

Doug Pederson (Chiefs offensive coordinator): On Sunday the Eagles confirmed they had interviewed Pederson, the latest candidate the Birds have spoken to, in Kansas City following the team’s latest playoff win.

Pederson has rich Philly ties, and served as Philly’s quarterbacks coach in 2011 and 2012 before following Andy Reid to the Chiefs where he now serves as their offensive coordinator. He also played for the Eagles. If the Eagles decide to hire himit would need to be after the Chiefs’ playoff run concludes.

Adam Gase (Bears offensive coordinator):The Eagles interviewed Gaselast week and were rumored to have a lot of interest, but the Dolphins snatched him up this past weekend.

Ben McAdoo (Giants offensive coordinator):The mastermind behind Eli Manning’s continued success with the Giants was confirmed to have interviewed with the team Thursday.

Tom Coughlin (Giants former head coach):The two-time Super Bowl champion, fresh off 12 years coaching with the Eagles’ division rivals to the north is slated to interview with the team Monday. His experience and prior success as an NFL coach could make him appealing to Jeffrey Lurie, who wants to take a new path with a young team after three years under Kelly.

Paul Guenther (Bengals defensive coordinator):Guenther is a Bucks country native, and is expected to be interviewed by the Eagles early this week after the Bengals were elminated by Pittsburgh in the first roundSaturday.

Dirk Koetter (Buccaneers offensive coordinator):Koetter helped to usher Jameis Winston into the pro ranks, and a few seasons prior was a large part in the NFL development of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Reports are implying that the Eagles are going to ask permission to interview the coach.

Pat Shurmur (Eagles offensive coordinator): The longtime Philly assistant, onetime Browns head coach and last week’s interim head coach interviewed with the Eagles Monday. No word on his status since the meeting a few days after the Birds’ season concluded.

Jon Gruden (ESPN Monday Night Football analyst): Gruden was a popular coach back in the early 2000’s, when he was traded from the Raiders to the Buccaneers and later led the Bucs to a Super Bowl title. Grudenrefuted a story reported by the Philadelphia Daily News that he was interested in returning to the Eagles–a team that he has ties with as an assistant back in the 1990s.

Sean Payton (Saints head coach):With two years left on his contract in New Orleans, and still in possession of his favorite asset, quarterback Drew Brees, it was announced Wednesday that the Super Bowl winning head coach was not leaving this offseason.

“This is where I plan on coaching. I don’t envision myself coaching any other club,” Payton said during a Wednesday press conference. “Here I am and nothing is changing and I plan on finishing my career here. … I’ll be here as long as they’ll have me.”

In a farewell press conference to the Giants, filled with emotion and reflection, the two-time Super Bowl champion did not rule out returning to a different team.

Duce Staley (Eagles running backs coach):The former Eagles running back and fan-favorite was reportedly the first candidate to interview for the position. Unknown if he will be in the running to actually get the job, he does provide adherence to the ‘Rooney Rule’ for Jeffrey Lurie as a minority candidate.

Doug Marrone (Jaguars offensive line coach):Marrone was the Bills head coach fairly recently, but according to CSNPhilly.com, he is not a candidate for the Eagles job.

Teryl Austin (Lions defensive coordinator):Austin is expected to have met with the Eagles sometime Tuesday. He has also served for three years as Ravens secondary coach under John Harbaugh.

Sean McDermott (Panthers defensive coordinator):The leader of the Panthers’ defense — regularly one of the best in the league — has other things to worry about right now. Like leading his top-seeded Carolina squad to a Super Bowl. But many Eagles fans want the familiar face to return to Philly, the place where he coached local legends like Brian Dawkins as a positional coach (and later defensive coordinator) under Andy Reid.

The feeling is mutual.

“I mean, listen, we love it here. Living in Carolina has been great. We’ve been here five years,” McDermott said on 97.5 The Fanatic Tuesday. “But, yeah, we’re always interested. I love the Philadelphia area and quite honestly, it’s been tough to watch the last several years, having grown up in the area and worked there for 12 years. The fan base, I know what’s important to them. They’re genuine, dedicated and they’re real. And the facilities up there are second to none. So I’d love to see the Eagles recapture the magic, so to speak.”