The Andy Reid coaching tree continues to grow

Monday, February 28, 2011
Posted: 4:52 p.m.
By Reuben FrankCSNPhilly.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- In the span of 11 days in the winter of 1999, new Eagles head coach Andy Reid hired Steve Spagnuolo out of the World League, Pat Shurmur off Stanfords staff, Leslie Frazier out of the University of Illinois and Ron Rivera from the Bears and retained John Harbaugh from Ray Rhodes staff.

This week, all five of those former Eagles assistants are together again, now as NFL head coaches themselves.

The branches of the Andy Reid coaching tree reach throughout the NFL. Five of the 31 other teams have a former Reid assistant at the helm.

People talk about the Mike Holmgren tree, and thats an incredible thing when you look at it, said Harbaugh, now the Ravens head coach. Now, Andy Reid was from that group, and now he has kind of got his own tree going. Maybe someday all of us will have own little trees going, too. Weve got little baby branches growing off right now. Ill claim Rex Ryan, though, and thats a big branch.

Harbaugh has gotten the Ravens to the playoffs in all three of his seasons since leaving Philly, and Spagnuolo nearly got the Rams to the playoffs last year just one season after they went 1-15.

Shurmur, Frazier and Rivera go into the 2011 season as first-time NFL head coaches, Shurmer with the Browns, Frazier with the Vikings -- where he finished last season as interim coach -- and Rivera the Panthers.

He basically mentored you, Rivera said. And it was like what Jim Johnson did for myself and I assume he did it with Leslie and Steve and Sean as well. I know he let me write game plans for him. Now, he would obviously correct them and go over them and change them how he wanted, but those guys helped prepare us for our next level or our next step. When you talk about people giving you opportunities, those two guys were always there to help us.

Whatever you think of Reid and his performance as the Eagles head coach, its hard to argue with the initial coaching class he put together in 1999. You can make a case that the Eagles decline in recent years -- seven playoff wins from 2000 through 2004, just three from 2005 through 2010 -- is related to a decline in the coaching staff.

For example, Rivera was replaced by Bill Shuey, who was fired this offseason. Harbaugh was replaced by Sean McDermott, who was promoted to defensive coordinator and also fired this offseason. Shurmur was succeeded by James Urban, who wasnt fired but was encouraged to seek employment elsewhere. And Harbaugh -- the best special teams coach in football -- was replaced by Rory Segrest, who was eventually moved to defensive line and also fired this past offseason.

Reid also lost Johnson, who died in the summer of 2009 after battling cancer, and Brad Childress, who left after the 2005 season to become head coach of the Vikings and took Minnesota to the playoffs in 2008 and 2009.

It was Frazier that handed the Eagles one of their most devastating regular-season losses in recent years this past December. That win helped earn him the Vikings permanent head coaching job, where he replaced another former Reid assistant, Brad Childress.

Im grateful to Andy bringing me into the NFL as an assistant coach, Frazier said at the Combine. I really enjoyed my time there and coaching with the other current head coaches). I just think the fact Andy made a concerted effort to hire high-character guys, that was No. 1 for him.

You also have to give him a lot of credit for being open with information, not feeling as if, Im the head coach, and Im over here and you guys are in this direction. We all felt included when we were there in Philadelphia, and that's a credit to Andy.

Spagnuolo and Harbaugh might be the two most improbable stories in the group. Spagnuolos only pro coaching experience when Reid hired him was as defensive line coach of the Barcelona Dragons of the World League. Harbaugh had been a special teams coach for nine years when Reid moved him to defensive backs to increase his value. A year later, he was head coach of the Ravens.

Thats a reflection of Andy, the way he does things, the way he grooms people, Spagnuolo said. He always allowed all of us to be the coaches and teachers that we he felt we were when he hired us. He was always willing freely to give information, to share information, to speak about football.

Im sure John (Harbaugh) and Ron (Rivera) would say the exact same thing, that we owe a debt of gratitude to Andy for how he kind of developed us for where we are right now.

Reid, unlike many head coaches, never prevents his assistants from interviewing with other teams. Whenever a team asks for permission, its granted - assuming the assistant wants to interview.

I did it once with Spags and I said, You know what, Im never going to do it again, and as a result he got a Super Bowl ring with New York, Reid said.

I think if a guy has a chance to better himself, Ive got to have enough confidence in the people around me that are with us and the players that you really can do that type of thing. Ive been lucky enough to have good people around me where I can let a guy go do his thing and still get the things accomplished that we need to get done.

Im proud of what those guys are doing. Theyve taken their opportunities and run with them and done a heck of a job.

The Ravens are 32-16 in three years under Harbaugh and have won at least one playoff game each season. His .667 winning percentage is 12th-best in NFL history among coaches with three or more years of service.

Harbaugh, like all his other assistants, spent time with Reid at the Combine this week and often talks to him during the offseason. He said most of what he does as a head coach is a direct result of working under Reid.

Andy, hes got a sign on the back of his desk and up on his bulletin board and he had it there from Day 1, and it says Dont judge, Harbaugh said. It took me about four years to get up the courage to ask him what that meant. He finally kind of explained thishes not a big explanation guy, as you know, youve got to kind of watch him and figure him out a little bitbut just take people where theyre at. Think the best of people and look for the best in people. And thats the best way to get the best out of people.

I think thats something hes been really successful doing. I think he does that with his coaches and his players, and thats why guys are doing so well.

Andy is an amazing guy. Its amazing to see what hes done.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com