Posted on Wed, Oct. 24, 2007
Ashley Fox | Eagles' owner stands by his coach
By Ashley Fox
Inquirer Sports Columnist
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is not going to fire head coach Andy Reid. Not now. Not when the season is over. Probably not any time this decade. It's just not going to happen.
Lurie reluctantly addressed the issue of his embattled coach yesterday during a break from the National Football League's fall meeting, held at a Center City hotel. He first declined to address "team" issues, but when pressed, Lurie left no doubt how he felt about Reid, who is in his ninth year with the Eagles.
"I think we have a great coach, great coaching staff, excellent leadership," Lurie said. "We were 5-6 last year, we lost our starting quarterback, and almost made it to the championship game. He's one of the truly best coaches, and if you interviewed the 31 other owners and Andy was on the market, many would be lining up, so . . ."
So? So that means Reid should stay in Philadelphia, no matter what?
"Either you support your football people or you don't," Lurie said. "And I do."
In an industry that chews up and spits out just about everyone who doesn't have an ownership stake in a team, Lurie's approach is admirable. An owner with a herky-jerky management style - see Snyder, Daniel - can be maddeningly destructive.
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Ashley Fox | Eagles' owner stands by his coach | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/24/2007