The Philadelphia Eagles are set to hire former Dolphins interim head coach Todd Bowles as their new secondary coach according to a report from Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Bowles, who played his college ball at Temple, brings 11 years of experience as a secondary coach in the NFL and played eight seasons in the league. Bowles will be tasked with coaching up a high priced/high picked, yet underperforming Eagles secondary.
More: On Bowles Hiring
Perhaps even bigger news is that the team will also be retaining Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator. While they never publicly gave any indication that Castillo would be fired or demoted, they also never offered Castillo a vote of confidence despite constant inquiries and speculation about his job status. Andy Reid will presumably do just that when he meets the media tomorrow for the first time since the final whistle blew in the week 17 game against the Redskins.
Castillo now has just one year of experience coaching defense, but his staff certainly has a wealth of the experience he lacks. Defensive line coach Jim Washburn & Bowles combine for 20 years at their respective positions in the league. Safety coach Mike Zordich & LB coach Mike Caldwell don't have much coaching experience, but they do have nearly 20 years of NFL service between them. So with a full offseason and a highly qualified and experienced staff, there won't be any excuses for Castillo if things go wrong next year.