Sean Desai Named New Eagles Defensive Coordinator, Per Pete Carroll
The Eagles finally have a new Defensive Coordinator. After Jonathan Gannon left, a parade of different candidates came through to interview to replace him. But the Eagles have landed on Former Bears DC, and current Seahawks assistant Sean Desai. Seahawks Coach Pete Caroll broke the news himself while talking to reporters.
Sean Desai is no stranger to Philly. He spent several years here coaching Temples Defense and Special Teams. Then he spent a year as The Director of Football Operations at Miami. After that a year as the Runningback coach and Special Teams Coordinator at Boston College. All before heading to Chicago for several years. He started there as a Defensive Quality Control Coach. Spent a season as the Safeties Coach. And he spent one season as the Bears DC. The Bears did not retain him though after firing Head Coach Matt Nagy. He has been in Seattle since then.
What it will mean for the Eagles’ defense remains to be seen. Like Gannon, Desai comes from the Vic Fangio coaching tree. He served as a defensive assistant under Fangio for years in Chicago. When Fangio left to coach the Broncos, it was Desai that took over for him. But that does not mean it will be the exact same style as either Gannon or Fangio. Fangio and Gannon each had their own quirks in the system. We have not gotten much of a look at what type of defense Desai will run, because his first stint as a DC was short-lived.
He takes over for a defense losing much of the talent that made it so special last season. So it may be tough for him to match the production of Gannon’s defense, even if he does a better job calling plays. Eagles fans will certainly be happy to have a new voice at DC. Fans never quite took to the conservative style of Gannon. Gannon’s defenses struggled against nearly every good Qb they faced. That was more clear than ever in the Super Bowl where the defense failed to get a single stop in the second half vs the Chiefs.
Desai will get a chance at correcting that trend. In his one stint as DC, the Bears gave up the 6th least yards in the league, were 13th in Defensive DVOA, but also were 22nd in points allowed. So it will be interesting what he brings to the table as the Eagles DC. His first job will be helping them select who in the draft and Free Agency they bring in the replace the outgoing talent.
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