Andy Reid Out: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Today was the last day of an era, the Andy Reid era.  While rumors had been swirling, reports came out after the game that Andy Reid would be relieved of his head coaching duties on Monday.  While leaving on a down note, there have been a lot of good times during Reid’s tenure.

Reid’s career started with the Eagles in 1999 and he was booed from the get go when he drafted Donovan McNabb with the second overall pick.  Reid had his franchise quarterback, and from that point on, never looked back.  After a rough but expected losing season in 1999, the Eagles were 11-5 in 2000 and found themselves in the playoffs.  Following the 2000 season, the Eagles and Andy Reid went to four straight NFC Championship games.  After losing the first three Championship games, Reid finally got an opportunity to play for a Superbowl in 2004 against the New England Patriots.  While not able to hoist the Lombardi trophy, Reid had turned around a losing franchise.

Since 2004, the Eagles appeared in one more NFC Championship in 2008, but have struggled in the past couple seasons.  This current season was the worst of Reid’s era, compiling only four wins.  While the team got off to a 3-1 start, they could have easily been 0-4.  Coming off their third win against the Giants, the Eagles fell apart, losing eight straight games.  While able to pull out a win against Tampa Bay, the Eagles would not win another game in the 2012 season.

Reid will be leaving the franchise as the winningest coach in Philadelphia Eagles history (130-92-1).  He built and coached a franchise that saw only two playoff wins in the previous 12 years, to a team that was constantly vying for a deep run in the playoffs as well as a Superbowl contender.  While Reid may not have been a huge fan of the Philadelphia media, the man never threw a player under the bus.  It was always “on him” and he “needed to do a better job to put his guys in the right position, to make a play,”  It was classic Andy Reid every press conference.  While tomorrow will officially end Andy Reid’s coaching tenure in Philadelphia, who knows what the future may hold for this franchise as they hunt for Reid’s replacement.