INDIANAPOLIS — Nick Sirianni is getting his shot.
Sirianni, the Indianapolis Colts' offensive coordinator the last three seasons under Frank Reich, today was officially announced as the new head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Reich said today that he is "thrilled" for Sirianni and the opportunity in front of him.
"I spent six years coaching with Nick in two different organizations," Reich said in a statement. "He has a brilliant mind, he is a strong leader, and he will relate well with the city and its fanbase. Nick comes from a coaching family and this is his passion. He is going to a first-class organization and I'm looking forward to witnessing his success. I'm very appreciative of Nick's contribution to the Colts over the last three seasons and I wish him and his family the best."
Sirianni, 39, was a standout wide receiver at Division III Mount Union, even briefly playing for the Canton Legends of the Atlantic Indoor Football Association (AIFA), before beginning his coaching career. He was the defensive backs coach at Mount Union before spending three seasons as the wide receivers coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Sirianni got his big break in the NFL in 2009, when the Kansas City Chiefs hired him as an offensive quality control coach, where he started his rise up the coaching ladder. In 2012, Sirianni served as the Chiefs' wide receivers coach; the following year, he joined Reich on the San Diego Chargers' coaching staff; Sirianni started as an offensive quality control coach, while Reich was the quarterbacks coach.
In 2014, Reich was promoted to offensive coordinator, and Sirianni was named quarterbacks coach. For the next two seasons, Reich and Sirianni would help lead quarterback Philip Rivers to two of the more productive seasons of his career.
Reich moved on to become the Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2016, and Sirianni then became the Chargers' wide receivers coach, a position he would hold the next two seasons before joining Reich's new Colts staff as its offensive coordinator in 2018.
In 2018, the Colts offense ranked among the best in the NFL in numerous offensive categories, including yards per game (386.2, seventh), passing yards per game (278.8, sixth), sacks allowed (18, first), first downs per game (23.2, sixth) and third down percentage (48.6, first). The Colts finished with a 10-6 regular season record, won in the AFC Wild Card Round and had an appearance in the AFC Divisional Round. Indianapolis became the third team in NFL history to start a season 1-5 and make the playoffs. Additionally, the Colts were the second team in NFL history to start a season 1-5 and win a playoff game.
Sirianni worked closely with quarterback Andrew Luck, who returned after missing the entire 2017 season due to injury. Luck earned his fourth career Pro Bowl selection and was named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year after starting all 16 games and completing 430-of-639 passes (67.3 percent) for 4,593 yards with 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions for a 98.7 passer rating. He set single-season career highs in completions, attempts, completion percentage and passer rating. Luck's passing yards and passing touchdowns were the second-best marks of his career. He ranked in the top-five in the NFL in passing touchdowns (second), attempts (second), completions (second) and yards (fifth). From Weeks 4-12, Luck threw three or more touchdown passes in eight consecutive games, which was the longest streak in the NFL in 2018 and tied for the second-longest in league history. In the regular season, Luck completed touchdown passes to 13 different players, which tied the NFL record.
In 2019, the Colts registered a top-10 rushing attack for the first time since 2001 as the team boasted the league's seventh-ranked rushing offense (133.1 yards per game). Indianapolis' 4.52 yards per carry average was the fifth-highest single-season total in franchise history. Running back Marlon Mack finished 11th in the NFL in rushing yards with a single-season career-high 1,091 yards on the ground to become the first Colts player to register a 1,000-yard rushing season since 2016. In Week 11 vs. Jacksonville (11/17), Jonathan Williams (116 yards) and Mack (109 yards) became just the fourth pair of running backs in franchise history to register 100 rushing yards in the same game. Indianapolis finished with 264 rushing yards against the Jaguars, which ranked 12th in single-game team history.
The Colts were the only team in the NFL to start the same five offensive linemen (tackle Anthony Castonzo, guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, guard Mark Glowinski and tackle Braden Smith) in all 16 regular season games. The group tied for the ninth-fewest sacks allowed in the league. Nelson and Kelly were each named to the Pro Bowl, marking the first time Indianapolis had two offensive linemen represented in the Pro Bowl since 2006. Nelson also garnered Associated Press First Team All-Pro honors for the second consecutive season. Joining Nelson and Kelly in Orlando was tight end Jack Doyle, who was named to his second career Pro Bowl after compiling 43 receptions for 448 yards and four touchdowns.
In 2020, the Colts' offense ranked 10th in the NFL in total offense (378.1 yards per game), ninth in yards per play (5.86), ninth in passing yards per play (7.34), third in sacks per pass attempt allowed (3.8), tied for 10th in first downs per game (22.8), ninth in average time of possession (31:01) and ninth in scoring (28.2 points per game). As a team, Indianapolis finished the regular season at 11-5 and advanced to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Nelson and Kelly were also both named Pro Bowlers and AP All-Pros in 2020.
Sirianni and Reich in 2020 were reunited with Rivers, who signed a one-year free agent deal with the Colts in March. In what would be his final NFL season, Rivers completed 369-of-543 pass attempts (68 percent) for 4,169 yards with 24 touchdowns to 11 interceptions for a passer rating of 97.0.
Sirianni takes over an Eagles team that finished 4-11-1 in 2020. Sirianni immediately will begin working with general manager Howie Roseman on re-tooling the Philadelphia roster — the team does have two promising young quarterbacks returning in Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts — moving forward.
"Those who have worked closely with Sirianni describe him as a smart football mind who is a football coach to his core," team insider Dave Spadaro wrote today on the Eagles’ site. "He comes from a football family and is a natural leader and communicator. Sounds like all of the qualities you would want in a head coach."
Reich, meanwhile, will continue working on finalizing his own coaching staff here in the early portion of the offseason.
