Shurmur’s main focus is getting Eagles prepared for the Giants
Interim coach Shurmur trying to keep Eagles’ minds off circus and on finale vs. Giants
PHILADELPHIA » Pat Shurmur walked through mahogany row and into the owner’s office Tuesday wondering what in the world he did wrong as offensive coordinator of the Eagles. And then it hit him. “He looked at me, and I was a little confused because it’s not very often you get called down to the owner’s office,” Shurmur said, referencing CEO Jeffrey Lurie. “And then he said, ‘well you haven’t heard, have you?’ And I said ‘no, I haven’t heard.’ And then he told me that he had let Coach (Chip) Kelly go. And we had a conversation from there regarding coaching the team in the last game.”
Just like that, Shurmur became a head coach again.
Make no mistake, Shurmur knew he’d get another chance to be the man despite a 9-23 record in 2011-12 with the Cleveland Browns. He just didn’t figure it would be under these circumstances.
Four of the last five head coaches fired by the Eagles have had winning records, with Kelly the latest. He completed his Eagles tour with a 26-21 record overall but 6-9 this year. Most of those victories came in a 19-9 start. The Eagles have won just 7 of their last 19 games.
After the powwow with Lurie, Shurmur said he spoke to Kelly, who, after a solid start with the Eagles, spiraled downward and —– as far as Lurie was concerned — out of control.
“We spoke like we do on a daily basis,” Shurmur said. “No more, no less. He kind of told me what happened in the meeting because it was very brief with me, and certainly with Mr. Lurie, as to what was said. And we wished each other well and that was it. There wasn’t much conversation of the whys because I had to turn around quickly and start getting going on the week. I think those are conversations for later.”
The NFL is that kind of stage. Shurmur, who got his first NFL coaching job with the Eagles in 1999, was fired in Cleveland by Joe Banner, the president of the Eagles during their 2004 Super Bowl run with Andy Reid.
Shurmur, 50, didn’t flinch when asked if this one-game test could be an audition for a permanent position.
“I’ve sort of looked at every day of my life as an audition,” Shurmur said. “It just so happens that the last game of the year is against the Giants in the Meadowlands, and that’s about it.”
Shurmur gave Eagles players the lowdown. They’re basically playing for their jobs here, or elsewhere, unless they don’t play at all.
“I wouldn’t give you the details of my message to the team, but basically I just told the team that we’re all very proud, competitive guys and men making a living,” Shurmur said. “We’re just coaching and playing a game we’ve loved since we were kids. It’s very important to show respect for ourselves, for our teammates, for our organization and for the game itself to go out and fight tooth and nail and try to beat the Giants. That’s the reality of it. And that’s sort of the moment I tried to paint for them as we got ready to train this week.
“We’re going to do what we have to do to win the game.”
Quarterback Sam Bradford was coached by Shurmur in 2009-10 with the Rams. Bradford conceded it would be easier to renew his contract with the Eagles if Shurmur still was around.
“Obviously me and Pat have a great relationship,” Bradford said. “We worked together in St. Louis my rookie year and I have a great deal of respect for Pat. I think him being here would definitely be a part of that decision.”
Eagles running back DeMarco Murray has not been getting the big workload he’s used to and is looking forward to a fresh start with whomever the next coach is. He put in a plug for Shurmur.
“I think he’s a great coach, obviously someone who has had success as an offensive coordinator and as a head coach,” Murray said. “He knows how to lead men. I think he does a great job. I think he’s done a great job throughout the course of the year, talking to certain guys, calling plays throughout the week and putting guys in good position to make plays.”
Shurmur’s next coaching opportunity, wherever it comes from, will be a little more secure than what he has now. Shurmur and much of the coaching staff have two years left on their contracts. With no changes anticipated on either side of the ball, it’s not like this audition is going to tell Lurie and the search committee much about Shurmur’s candidacy.
“At this point my focus is on Sunday, we all know change is in the air,” Shurmur said. “And we’ll just have to talk about those decisions as we move forward. I’m certainly excited to help finish out this year. It’s very unfortunate Mr. Lurie felt a change was necessary, but we’re going what we can to play the Giants.”