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Who is Doug Pederson? Get to know the next Eagles head coach

A look back at the career of new Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
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The Philadelphia Eagles will reportedly hire Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson as their next head coach.

The Eagles cannot announce his hiring until the Chiefs are eliminated from the playoffs, but here’s a look back at Pederson’s football career.

Pederson, 47, has deep ties to the organization, joining Andy Reid’s coaching staff in 2009 as offensive quality control coach and becoming quarterbacks coach in 2011. When Reid was fired by the Eagles after the 2012 season and hired by the Chiefs shortly afterward in 2013, Pederson remained on his staff and moved into the offensive coordinator role.

With the Chiefs, Pederson has played a large part in the development of quarterback Alex Smith, who put together his third consecutive 3,000-plus yard season through the air in 2015. He has also aided the success of running back Jamaal Charles and has also helped a number of backups, including Charcandrick West, excel while Charles missed time with injuries. Kansas City defeated the Houston Texans 30–0 last week and faces the New England Patriots in Saturday’s divisional playoff round. The Chiefs are currently on an 11-game winning streak after opening the season 1–5.

Pederson played quarterback professionally from 1992–2004, including one season with the Eagles in 1999. A native of Bellingham, Wash., Pederson began his career as an undrafted free agent out of Northeast Louisiana, bouncing on and off the Dolphins’ practice squad and spending time in the World League of American Football (later NFL Europe) with the New York/New Jersey Knights before joining Miami in 1993.

He returned to the WLAF in 1995 with the Rhein Fire and eventually caught on with the Green Bay Packers, where he backed up Brett Favre from 1995–1998. He joined the Eagles in 1999, serving as a temporary starter ahead of rookie Donovan McNabb. He spent 2000 with the Cleveland Browns and then returned to Green bay from 2001 until his career ended due to injury in 2004.

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After his playing days, Pederson became head football coach at Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, La., where he led the program for four successful seasons before joining the Eagles’ staff.

Pederson will replace Chip Kelly as head coach of the Eagles, who went a disappointing 7–9 last season.