Since Jeffrey Lurie purchased the Philadelphia Eagles organization in 1994, the team has hired five Head Coaches over the course of 31 years. But NFL teams such as the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders have hired four Head Coaches in the last eight years.

Since 1995, the Eagles have the fifth-most regular season wins in the NFL with 287. The four organizations ahead of them are:

-Kansas City Chiefs (289)
-Pittsburgh Steelers (310)
-Green Bay Packers (316)
-New England Patriots (328)

Like Philadelphia, all of these NFL teams have seen the most on-field success with stability at the Head Coaching position. You would think more NFL teams would attempt to follow the old saying “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, and look at what organizations like the Eagles have done for the last three decades.

But with seven NFL teams without Head Coach, what can those organizations learn from Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie?

1. The Hot Candidate Is Probably Not the Best Head Coaching Option

Out of the five Head Coaches that the Eagles have hired in the last three decades, only one of those men was a popular and well-known commodity. At the time, Chip Kelly had won 46 out of 53 games as the University of Oregon Head Coach. He was seen as an Offensive Visionary who could revolutionize Philadelphia’s offense.

But after two straight 10-6 seasons as Philadelphia’s Head Coach, Chip Kelly’s ego created a toxic enviroment and was the catalyst for building a bad roster. The Eagles lost six of his final nine games, and Jeffrey Lurie felt compelled to fire Kelly after a series of off-the-field issues became too much to tolerate for the Eagles’ owner.

Lesson: Hiring the “popular” or “hot” name does not mean winning in the NFL. Hiring a Head Coach who is a leader who will hire good coordinators, and work with the front office are more important to winning.

2. The Best Coaching Candidates are Quality Men who work for Good Head Coaches

The three men who have led the Eagles to Super Bowl appearances in the 21st Century (Andy Reid, Doug Pederson, and Nick Sirianni) were little-known NFL coaches who had no college or professional football Head Coaching experience when hired:

*Andy Reid was an almost anonymous Quarterbacks Coach for the Green Bay Packers, working in the shadow of future Hall of Fame Quarterback Brett Favre. Reid spent seven years working for Mike Holmgren, one of only three Packers Head Coaches to ever win a Super Bowl.

*After a decade-plus as a Backup Quarterback in the NFL, Doug Pederson first joined Reid coaching staff in Philadelphia. He worked under future Hall of Fame Head Coach Andy Reid for seven years before getting hired in Philadelphia.

*Nick Sirianni spent 12 years working in the NFL, with stops in Kansas City, San Diego, and Indianapolis. He worked most of that time as a Wide Receivers or Quarterbacks coach before then-Colts Head Coach Frank Reich gave him the opportunity to be an Offensive Coordinator. But with the Colts, he only assisted Reich with the offensive gameplanning and never was the team’s primary playcaller.

But all three prioritized team culture, worked with the front office to build the offensive line to protect the Quarterback, and hired veteran defensive coordinators to help the team win. Reid, Pederson, and Sirianni all worked to connect with the players, in their own ways have positive relationships with everyone in the organization.

Lesson: Look at the most respected NFL Head Coaches, evaluate who on their staff has leadership potential, and don’t be afraid to go through an exhaustive interview process to find the right man for the job.

Top Rated Places To Watch Eagles Games in Cape May County

If you are an Eagles fan, you want to cheer on your team with your fellow Philly Sports Fans! So for those who love to sing “Fly Eagles Eagles” and chant E-A-G-L-E-S, here are the best Cape May County Bars and Restaurants where you can watch the games this season. We have gathered data from Google Reviews, Facebook Reviews, and Google Analytics to create this list and rank what are the best places to watch Eagles games in New Jersey’s southernmost county.

Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media