Bruce Arians freely admitted he was upset back in 2013 when the Chicago Bears bypassed him as their head coaching candidate in favor of Marc Trestman. That’s why he tried like hell to make them pay for it two years later when his Arizona Cardinals trounced them 48-23 at Soldier Field. Not being picked isn’t any fun, but being dismissed in favor of a candidate you likely deem inferior? That has to burn twice as much. So it’s curious to wonder how the other candidates felt when the Bears went with Matt Nagy.
Of course, he wasn’t as far out of left field as Trestman was, but he was still a bit of a surprise. Nagy didn’t really become a true head coaching candidate until late in the 2017 season. That was when he reportedly took over play-calling duties on offense from Andy Reid. The Kansas City Chiefs offense revived the moment that happened and made a late run to secure the AFC West title.
That along with his credentials as a quarterback specialist and reputation for being able to connect with players seemed to do the job. This despite more experienced candidates like Josh McDaniels and Pat Shurmur also vying for the job. In fact, one other coach who seemed like a favorite believes the Bears made the right call.
John DeFilippo applauds Bears for picking Matt Nagy
One of the hotter names on the coaching market this past month was Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. The work he’s done this year has been a gigantic influence on the Eagles reaching the Super Bowl. It looked like that would end up landing him a top job but in the end, he wasn’t chosen, though he seemed to come close in Chicago.
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He’s not bitter though. During a conversation with Adam Hoge of WGN, the 39-year old didn’t just accept Chicago choosing Nagy. He, in fact, applauded it.
#Eagles QB coach John DeFilippo, who interviewed for the #Bears head coaching job: "They hired the right guy. The hired the right coach in Matt Nagy. Mitchell (Trubisky) is in great hands.” https://t.co/lKANm7BnPM
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) January 30, 2018
DeFilippo offered those Nagy comments on his own. They were genuine. https://t.co/O6aDR0yqrG
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) January 30, 2018
DeFilippo and Nagy have actually crossed paths before. Back in 2013 and 2014 both were quarterback coaches in the AFC West division. Nagy was in Kansas City and DeFilippo was in Oakland. It seems the two gained a healthy respect for the others’ work. They share a mutual connection with the Eagles franchise as well. Nagy worked there from 2008 to 2012 and now DeFilippo is there as well.
They basically came up through the game the same way. Both are former quarterbacks who never made it to the NFL as players. They cracked the business as coaching interns and worked their way up the ranks as proven QB mentors. If that weren’t enough they’re the exact same age at 39. It’s not surprising that DeFilippo might see a little of himself in Nagy.
If anything it’s a window into the person he is that he offers such warm support for his coaching comrade. At the same time, his vote of support is another sign that the Bears made a good call.
