The Chip Kelly era in Philadelphia is over.
On Tuesday night, the Eagles dropped an atomic bomb of a news release at 7:12, announcing the team has fired its head coach and de facto general manager.
Kelly amassed a 26-21 record in his time with the Eagles, but the Birds stumbled to a 6-9 record through the first 15 games of the 2015 season after coming into the year with sky-high expectations.
“We appreciate all the contributions that Chip Kelly made and wish him every success going forward,” Eagles chairman and CEO Jeff Lurie said in a brief news release from the team.
In addition to firing Kelly, the Eagles have also fired vice president of player personnel Ed Marynowitz. Tom Donahoe, who has been a senior advisor for the Eagles since 2012, will take over as senior director of player personnel. Donahoe was once the GM in Buffalo and was director of football operations for the Steelers.
Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has been named the interim head coach and will lead the team against the Giants in the season finale on Sunday.
Lurie, whose previous head coach, Andy Reid, lasted 14 years, will hold a news conference on Wednesday at noon at the NovaCare Complex to explain why he fired Kelly before his third season ended.
In a letter posted on the team's official website, Lurie said the upcoming coaching search will be led by him, president Don Smolenski and former general manager Howie Roseman.
"I have made a decision to release Chip Kelly this evening," Lurie said in the letter. "I spent the last three seasons evaluating the many factors involved in our performance as a team. As I watched this season unfold, I determined that it was time to make a change."
The only thing more shocking than the Eagles’ firing Kelly is the timing of the move, which came with one game left in the 2015 season.
In January, it appeared Kelly had won a power struggle with then-GM Roseman when Lurie gave Kelly full control of player personnel. While Roseman's responsibilities were diminished, he did receive a raise and fancier title as executive vice president of football operations.
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Kelly made major moves this offseason with poor results. Now, Lurie pulled the plug on the entire operation.
This week, Kelly was again adamant that he was not the team's general manager, that he was just in charge of the 53-man and 90-man rosters. But it was clear he was in charge of every major decision. Many of those decisions backfired in 2015.
By Roseman's inclusion in the letter on the team's site, it appears he really has outlasted the coach who many thought had the chance to revolutionize the game at the NFL level.
Before joining the Eagles, Kelly had never worked for an NFL team but was a dynamic college coach. In his four years at Oregon, he amassed a 46-7 record and became one of the hottest names in the sport.
Originally, Kelly decided to stay at Oregon, but 10 days later in 2013 he decided to take the Eagles' open job. At the time, many praised the move.
With him, Kelly brought many new dynamics to Philadelphia, including his fast-paced offense and emphasis on sports science. In the first two years in town, he went 20-12 and made the playoffs in 2013.
Kelly's fast-paced offense has struggled this season without big-time playmakers LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. In the last few years, the Eagles have ousted several Pro Bowl-caliber players in favor of guys whom Kelly wanted for his own reasons.
This season, while the offense struggled, the defense fell off a cliff after starting the year hot. Kelly and defensive coordinator Bill Davis have continually downplayed the negative affect the quick offense has on the defense, but it's clear it does add strain.
This year is the second straight the Eagles have missed the playoffs. Kelly took full responsibility for the team's failure to make the postseason after Saturday night's embarrassing loss to the Washington Redskins.
During his nearly three years, Kelly had an interesting relationship with his players. A handful of former players spoke out against the coach after leaving town. Most notable was McCoy, who intimated racism played a role in his and other black players' departures from Philadelphia. The level-headed Brandon Boykin later criticized Kelly's people skills.
While Reid always had close relationships with his players, Kelly was very different and often aloof.
Kelly’s dismissal from the team means the franchise will have to start over in many aspects. Because Kelly had control over personnel matters, Lurie will need to figure out how to structure the front office and if he’ll hire a new general manager in addition to a coach.
Another question mark will be the quarterback position. Kelly traded for Sam Bradford and wanted him back. It stands to reason that there’s less of a chance the soon-to-be free-agent quarterback will re-sign for next season.
A couple weeks ago on a conference call, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said the head coach and quarterback positions are tied together.
Now, the Eagles need to figure out both.