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When Christian Parker left the Philadelphia Eagles to become the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator, the reaction was immediate. This wasn't the loss of a random assistant coach. Parker had quickly established himself as one of the NFL's brightest young defensive minds. He helped develop Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into All-Pro-caliber players and earned praise throughout the organization for his teaching ability and attention to detail. His players weren't shy about admitting he had left a void.
In many ways, the departure felt like the beginning of a larger problem. At the time, some believed Parker might eventually become the Eagles' defensive coordinator when Vic Fangio retired, so questions were raised about the status of the succession plan, as the responsibility for coaching the defensive backs was now split between Roy Anderson (cornerbacks) and Mike Pellegrino (secondary). The Eagles also stayed in-house in their quest to replace Parker, promoting Joe Kasper to defensive pass game coordinator. This is his second stint with Philadelphia after a brief stay in Miami as part of the Dolphins' coaching staff.
During his time with the Dolphins, Kasper coached the safety position, helping develop a unit that finished third in the league in sacks (56). Miami finished tied for eighth in takeaways (27) and ranked tenth in total defense.
The Eagles weren't simply losing a respected assistant. They appeared to be losing a potential heir apparent. Fangio's age naturally led to questions about how much longer he intended to coach, but good news came recently. Coach Fangio has no intention to retire any time soon, and that has certainly lessened the sting of Parker's exit.
Had retirement arrived sooner rather than later for Coach Fangio, Philadelphia would have lost both its defensive architect and the coach many believed could eventually replace him. That possibility made Parker's exit feel much larger than a typical coaching departure.
The Cowboys didn't hire him by accident. Parker's reputation has grown steadily around the league, and it wouldn't be surprising if he eventually emerges as one of the NFL's top coordinators. Given Dallas' visibility and national profile, he could even find himself in the conversation for Assistant Coach of the Year honors to conclude this season if the Cowboys' defense performs well.
That reality may be difficult for Eagles fans to stomach, but it's also the price of success. Good organizations lose talented coaches. Philadelphia has experienced that reality repeatedly over the years, but Vic Fangio's continued stay changes the conversation somewhat.
The silver lining is that Fangio isn't showing any signs of walking away. His recent comments reinforce that. That changes the outlook considerably. Gone are the conversations about Philadelphia painting themselves into a corner by losing such a good coach. Would it have been nice to keep Parker in the building? Absolutely, but the fear surrounding his departure was always tied to what might happen next. The Eagles now gain valuable time to develop another future leader on the defensive staff.
Christian Parker's departure remains a loss. There's no reason to pretend otherwise, but Philadelphia can now afford to view Parker's departure for what it really was: a good coach receiving an opportunity he earned, not the beginning of a defensive crisis.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles losing Christian Parker doesn't sting as much months later
Continue reading...
In many ways, the departure felt like the beginning of a larger problem. At the time, some believed Parker might eventually become the Eagles' defensive coordinator when Vic Fangio retired, so questions were raised about the status of the succession plan, as the responsibility for coaching the defensive backs was now split between Roy Anderson (cornerbacks) and Mike Pellegrino (secondary). The Eagles also stayed in-house in their quest to replace Parker, promoting Joe Kasper to defensive pass game coordinator. This is his second stint with Philadelphia after a brief stay in Miami as part of the Dolphins' coaching staff.
During his time with the Dolphins, Kasper coached the safety position, helping develop a unit that finished third in the league in sacks (56). Miami finished tied for eighth in takeaways (27) and ranked tenth in total defense.
The Eagles weren't simply losing a respected assistant. They appeared to be losing a potential heir apparent. Fangio's age naturally led to questions about how much longer he intended to coach, but good news came recently. Coach Fangio has no intention to retire any time soon, and that has certainly lessened the sting of Parker's exit.
Succession concerns quiet for now as Christian Parker explores an earned opportunity
Had retirement arrived sooner rather than later for Coach Fangio, Philadelphia would have lost both its defensive architect and the coach many believed could eventually replace him. That possibility made Parker's exit feel much larger than a typical coaching departure.
The Cowboys didn't hire him by accident. Parker's reputation has grown steadily around the league, and it wouldn't be surprising if he eventually emerges as one of the NFL's top coordinators. Given Dallas' visibility and national profile, he could even find himself in the conversation for Assistant Coach of the Year honors to conclude this season if the Cowboys' defense performs well.
That reality may be difficult for Eagles fans to stomach, but it's also the price of success. Good organizations lose talented coaches. Philadelphia has experienced that reality repeatedly over the years, but Vic Fangio's continued stay changes the conversation somewhat.
The silver lining is that Fangio isn't showing any signs of walking away. His recent comments reinforce that. That changes the outlook considerably. Gone are the conversations about Philadelphia painting themselves into a corner by losing such a good coach. Would it have been nice to keep Parker in the building? Absolutely, but the fear surrounding his departure was always tied to what might happen next. The Eagles now gain valuable time to develop another future leader on the defensive staff.
Christian Parker's departure remains a loss. There's no reason to pretend otherwise, but Philadelphia can now afford to view Parker's departure for what it really was: a good coach receiving an opportunity he earned, not the beginning of a defensive crisis.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles losing Christian Parker doesn't sting as much months later
Continue reading...
