The Philadelphia Eagles announced Wednesday that Dick Jauron will be a senior assistant/defensive backs coach for the club. The story was first reported by NFL.com, but the Eagles didn't confirm it until this afternoon.
“Long before he became a defensive coordinator and head coach in this league, Dick Jauron was considered to be one of, if not the best defensive backs coaches in the game,” said coach Andy Reid in a press release. “We welcome his experience and knowledge of the game and look forward to adding him to our defensive coaching staff."
Added defensive coordinator Sean McDermott: “First and foremost, Dick Jauron is a person with tremendous integrity and his football background speaks for itself. I’m excited about his addition to the team and look forward to utilizing his experiences in the way of adding value to our defensive staff.”
Jauron has coached in the NFL for 25 years, including 10 years as a head coach at three different stops. He and Reid coached together with the Packers from 1992-94.
He's obviously overqualified to be a secondary coach, but I still think he'll be an excellent fit. He'll provide McDermott with an excellent sounding board and he should work well with the Eagles mix of veteran and young defensive backs.
Brian Stewart did a nice job with the secondary under some tough circumstances but he had higher aspirations. Jauron's days of being a head coach are likely behind him. But he definitely has a chance to be a valuable assistant.