‘Chip’ on shoulder after not being retained by Andy Reid

PHILADELPHIA — Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was let go by Andy Reid when Reid took over as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2012 season. And though Sirianni — Kansas City’s huge receivers coach on the time — mentioned he was appreciative of how Reid dealt with the state of affairs, he acknowledged that not being retained as part of Reid’s employees was a motivating drive for him.

“Do you always have this little chip on your shoulder? Sure, yeah, you do,” Sirianni mentioned. “But that’s who I am as a coach and as a person — I want to make sure I’m working my butt off to get as good as I possibly can. And sure, you hold on to some of those things.”

That makes for an fascinating subplot as Sirianni’s Eagles and Reid’s Chiefs face off Sunday in Super Bowl LVII (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox).

Sirianni’s first NFL teaching job was with the Chiefs, and he met his future spouse, Brett, throughout his time in Kansas City. He began as an offensive high quality management coach in 2009 and labored his approach as much as a job as receivers coach. But when Reid took over as head coach, changing Romeo Crennel after a 2-14 season, he introduced longtime trusted assistant David Culley with him from Philadelphia to fill that publish.

“Andy came in because we weren’t good enough in Kansas City. And he stepped in and did an unbelievable job,” Sirianni mentioned. “What I appreciated is that he brought everyone in and talked to them.

“I did not coach with Andy, however he gave me a great instance of what to do with a tough a part of the job of: ‘Hey, I obtained a man right here.’ He was complimentary. He knew I might be down, so he gave me power once I was down. I appreciated that, and it appears like that is who he’s as an individual and a coach.”

Sirianni landed a job as a quality control coach with the San Diego Chargers in 2013. He got a little bit of payback that season as the Chargers beat the Chiefs 41-38 in Week 12, prompting a now-familiar demonstrative response from Sirianni.

“I used to be within the press field standing on the [table] like this [waves arms and pumps fist]. I used to be simply so emotional about it,” he said. “But as time goes on and also you mature and you consider it, ‘Hey, I wanted to undergo that, I wanted to be on this state of affairs.’ In a way, you thank God for the belongings you needed to undergo as a result of it makes you who you might be at the moment.”

Sirianni spent five years in San Diego, where he was mentored by Frank Reich. He was hired as the Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator when Reich became the head coach there in 2018, which led to Sirianni getting the Eagles’ head-coaching gig in 2021.

“Did I need to go away Kansas City? No. My future spouse was from there, we had been engaged on the time, she had a pleasant instructing job there, she had all her buddies there, her mother and pop had been a half-hour down the street. Of course I did not need to go away there,” Sirianni said. “But once I take a look at it, God’s all the time put me in nice positions and guided my paths. I do know I do not say stuff like that on a regular basis, however I do know he has.

“And so, I needed to go to San Diego to learn, to be at a different spot, to be out of a comfort zone, potentially, to meet Frank Reich. To separate there and then go be his coordinator in Indianapolis. Everything happens for a reason.”

There isn’t any scarcity of Reid ties on this matchup. Reid was the top coach of the Eagles from 1999 to 2012, guiding Philadelphia to 5 NFC title recreation appearances and a visit to the Super Bowl within the 2004 season. Eagles basic supervisor Howie Roseman, lately named govt of the yr by the Pro Football Writers of America, obtained his begin below Reid.

“I would not be in this position if it wasn’t for Coach Reid,” Roseman mentioned. “I think about the fact that I was this 34-year-old guy and untraditional, and he was willing to have me as the GM and take the time to talk to me and teach me and be patient with this passionate, persistent person. It just means the world. I always root for him.”