Eagles Nick Sirianni: From Laughingstock to NFL's Best Coach?

The Philadelphia Eagles' Nick Siranni is proving skeptics wrong by being ranked in the Top 10 of NFL head coaches.

Proving first impressions sometimes don't last, Nick Sirianni's debut debacle is a thing of the past. The Philadelphia Eagles' leader that prompted laughs and skepticism during his awkward introductory press conference in 2021 is now one of the NFL's most respected head coaches.

Then: "The first part of being smart is knowing what to do," said an obviously nervous Sirianni while stumbling over his words. "We’re going to … we’re going to know … we’re going to have systems in place that are easier to learn,"

Now: Pro Football Focus just released its coach rankings for 2023 and he's in the Top 10.

Nothing like a 23-11 record, two playoff appearances and a heart-breaking loss in the Super Bowl to silence the critics who thought the Eagles were making a mistake hiring him in the wake of Doug Pederson's stint.

Says PFF: "We were skeptical of Philadelphia’s choice to move on from Pederson for Sirianni when they did, but Sirianni has proven, as Pederson did, to be the right man for the job. He has played a role in the ascension of quarterback Jalen Hurts from a fringe starter to a legit MVP candidate now after leading Philadelphia to a Super Bowl in 2022."

Sirianni comes in No. 8, behind the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs' Andy Reid (No. 1), the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick (No. 2), Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 3) and Pederson, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, at No. 7.

The Eagles are the defending NFC East champs and predicted again to be the best team, partly based on Sirianni's lofty status as the best coach in the division. Brian Daboll of the New York Giants comes in at No. 10, while Ron Rivera of the Washington Commanders and Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys didn't crack the list.

Continues PFF, "Postseason included, the Eagles’ 0.113 expected points added per play ranked second only to the Chiefs, and their 0.141 EPA per rush was the best in the NFL. That’s a monster jump from 0.053 EPA per play and 0.089 EPA per rush the previous season, and a testament to Sirianni’s prowess."

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