Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has had a busy week and he’s apparently impressed some important people.
Gannon, 39, interviewed for three head coaching positions this week and is reportedly considered a front-runner for at least one of them.
The first interview for Gannon came on Tuesday with the Houston Texans and he reportedly “made a very strong impression” on the Texans and “is considered by some in that building to be the current front-runner for the job,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported.
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After interviewing with the Texans, Gannon also interviewed with the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings this week.
We’ll see what happens here but the Eagles have to be prepared to lose their defensive coordinator. That’s looking like a legitimate possibility after just one year in Philly.
READ: 10 possibilities to replace Gannon if he leaves
The other note from Graziano about Gannon is about his ability to connect and build relationships with players and fellow coaches. That’s important for some Eagles fans who might be confused as to why Gannon is garnering so much attention as a head coaching candidate.
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Sure, Gannon had some ups and downs during his first season as a defensive coordinator (although the Eagles still ended up as a top-10 defense) but being a head coach is about a lot more than X’s and O’s. We’ve seen that with Nick Sirianni over the last few months.
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Check out this passage from Graziano:
“Judging a coordinator based on the way the team performed on his side of the ball is easy, but the characteristics that make a strong head coach don’t always align with those that define a coach’s specific defensive or offensive schemes. The 39-year-old Gannon is impressing people in ways that make teams look at him as a strong overall leader.”
Anyone who has spent time around Gannon won’t find that last part very surprising. It’s not a shock that he’s interviewing well. But now the Eagles have to prepare for the possibility of replacing him.