Mike Caldwell, who interviewed with the Eagles twice last month, is now headed for the Raiders.
Caldwell, who spent nine years with the Eagles as a linebacker and assistant coach, will become new Raiders coach Antonio Pierce’s defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The Eagles interviewed Caldwell twice in January, first for the defensive coordinator job that went instead to Vic Fangio, and then for the linebacker job, which they have yet to fill.
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They also interviewed veteran NFL coach Joe Barry for the linebackers job, but Barry was hired by the Dolphins as defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach, replacing Anthony Campanile, who was hired by the Packers.
So for the moment, the Eagles remain without a linebackers coach. And other than Caldwell and Barry, no other known candidates.
So far, Fangio has hired defensive line coach Clint Hurtt from Seattle and secondary coaches Joe Kaspar from Miami and Christian Parker from the Broncos on what appears to be a completely overhauled staff.
D.J. Eliot was the Eagles' linebackers coach last year after coaching at Temple in 2022. Tyler Scudder was assistant linebackers coach.
Philadelphia Eagles
Caldwell and Pierce have never worked together, but they overlapped as starting linebackers in the NFC East, Caldwell with the Eagles and Pierce with the Giants.
Caldwell played 11 years in the NFL, including 1998 through 2001 with the Eagles. He spent 2008 and 2009 as Reid’s defensive quality control coach, 2010 as assistant linebackers coach and 2011 and 2012 as linebackers coach. He spent the last two years as Doug Pederson’s defensive coordinator in Jacksonville.
Pierce finished the 2023 season as the Raiders’ interim head coach after Josh McDaniels was fired and announced last month he would remain in the position.