Eagles Coordinators an Unknown Despite Philly's Super Bowl Aspirations

Nick Sirianni's staff was intact from Year 1 to Year 2, but Brian Johnson and Sean Desai are the new Philadelphia Eagles' new offensive coordinator and defensive coordinators, respectively, and how they grow in their roles will be telling.

A.J. Brown was in Florida this offseason and on his iPad participating in a team meeting via Zoom.

He recognized a voice on the call but was still taken aback by it.

“I was like, 'Who is talking?'” said the Philadelphia Eagles receiver.

Turns out, it was former Eagles quarterback coach and now offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.

“He’s a natural,” Brown said. “He talks all the time. This isn’t his first time speaking to the team or running the show. It just shocked me the first time I listened to him on the I-pad.”

Johnson, 36, and new defensive coordinator Sean Desai, 40, are in the spotlight on a team good enough on paper to make another run at a Super Bowl appearance.

There has been a changeover with the roster, as there always is from year to year, but the Eagles will also have two new coordinators this season replacing Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon as well as a handful of other new assistants.

Last year, Sirianni’s entire staff stayed together for Year 2 of the coach’s regime and is considered a solid reason for the success of the 2022 team.

Desai has been a defensive coordinator for only one season, and that came two years ago with the Chicago Bears.

Despite being in his mid-30s, Johnson has already been an offensive coordinator at three different colleges, starting at the University of Utah, where he starred as a quarterback and was a Sugar Bowl MVP after leading a win over the fourth-ranked Tide from the University of Alabama.

Johnson also served as offensive coordinator with the University of Houston in 2017 and then with the University of Florida for one year in 2020 before Sirianni called.

“I don't have a ton of experience in this league, but at the end of the day when you're in this profession, I think people matter, and it's still a relationship business, and it's still about people," Johnson said. "I can't say enough great things about the people in this building, starting at the top with Mr. (Jeffrey) Lurie all the way down to (the custodial staff)."

“I think those relationships and the type of camaraderie that the players have, that the staff has, it’s something that’s really special and I’m very eager to be a part of that.”

The biggest adjustment for Johnson at this level will be calling the plays, but the offensive players seem to have no concerns about it, so far.

“Brian stepped in and his first couple of meetings he led them really strong,” tight end Dallas Goedert said. “We have a lot of respect for him as an offensive group, so whatever he says goes. He’s been putting good stuff in the offense for us, and he’s been teaching us different ways to do things. I’m really excited to have him as an offensive coordinator.”

As for Desai, his one takeaway during his time in Chicago was having to put coaches and players in a position to win every game.

“It's a play-by-play mentality,” he said. “I can't be a play late as a play caller, because if I'm a play late, that's a reflection on the players and the coaches. And that's on me. I've got to make sure I stay ahead of it, stay ahead of where the game is trending, and constantly be prepared that way to organize ourselves and give our guys the best chance to win.

“Everybody is good. That's part of the kind of chess match between different play callers in this league. You're just trying to get a little bit better on each play than the other person. 

"They're going to win their fair share and we're going to win our fair share. At the end of 70 plays or whatever it is, we'd better have won a little bit more than them to get the result we want.”

Nolan Smith has only been with the Eagles since joining them as a first-round pick on April 27, but he has already excited to see what Desai has in store for him and the defense.

“I learned a lot from him (talking about his time with the Bears) and how he was going to use me as far as how they rush guys and how they do different things, and how they use smaller backers like me to do certain things, show different disguises,” said Smith. “He’s a great coach and he’s real patient. I love patient coaches.”

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Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.

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