In a bit of a shocker, the Philadelphia Eagles have parted ways with head coach Chip Kelly. The move is surprising, mainly because the Eagles still have one more game to play. But, with three seasons in and no playoff appearances since his opening season, it appears that Eagles ownership ran out of patience.
The move broke around 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday night, with the Eagles issuing the following statement:
Today, Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman and CEO of the Philadelphia Eagles, released Head Coach Chip Kelly.
"We appreciate all the contributions that Chip Kelly made and wish him every success going forward," said Lurie.
Coach Pat Shurmur will be interim head coach for Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
Ed Marynowitz, vice president of player personnel, was also released. Tom Donahoe, former GM of the Buffalo Bills and director of football operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers and senior football advisor for the Eagles since 2012, will assume the role of senior director of player personnel.
A press conference will be held Wednesday, December 30 at the NovaCare Complex at Noon with Lurie.
The move comes just a few days after Kelly told reporters he was not worried about his job security.
The Eagles and their fans had high expectations for the 2015 season, despite losing running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. The additions of running backs DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews were highly touted, but Kelly seemed confused as to how to use them alongside Darren Sproles. Kelly's draft picks have contributed very little to the Eagles team.
Since joining the Eagles in 2013, Kelly has led the Eagles to a record of 26-21.
