Getting his wings clipped
Eagles coach Rhodes fired after 3-13 debacle in '98
Posted: Monday December 28, 1998 04:16 PM
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Rhodes admitted that changes needed to be made Al Bello/Allsport |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Ray Rhodes was fired as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles today,
ending a four-year reign that began with a coach of the year award and
collapsed with a 3-13 season.
Following Rhodes' advice and prediction, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie
fired the 48-year-old coach after the team's final game, a 20-10 loss to
the New York Giants on
Sunday that clinched Philadelphia's first 13-loss season and worst record
since 1972.
"When you don't win, changes have to be made. This is part of the
business," Rhodes said at a news conference with Lurie.
Rhodes acknowledged the worst-kept secret in the NFL two weeks ago,
saying he knew he'd be fired and asking that it be done as soon as
possible.
On Sunday, he said goodbye to the team and gave another farewell speech
even though Lurie waited until today to make the dismissal official.
"We are 3-13," Rhodes said. "A new coach will be in here shortly."
The firing was one of four Monday. Other coaches dismissed today were
the Chicago Bears' Dave
Wannstedt, the Baltimore
Ravens' Ted Marchibroda and the Carolina Panthers' Dom
Capers.
Some early candidates to replace Rhodes are Capers; Steelers defensive
coordinator Jim Haslett; Jacksonville offensive coordinator Chris Palmer;
Minnesota offensive coordinator Brian Billick; and Wisconsin Badgers coach
Barry Alvarez.
| Rhodes' Record
|
| Year | Team | W | L |
T | Pct. |
1995
1996
1997
1998
1995
1996
| REGULAR SEASON
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Totals
POST
SEASON
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Totals
|
10
10
6
3
29
1
0
1
|
6
6
9
13
34
1
1
2
|
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
|
.625
.625
.406
.188
.461
.500
.000
.333
|
| |
|
Rhodes' dismissal left the NFL with only two black head coaches --
Minnesota's Dennis Green and Tampa Bay's Tony Dungy -- just as the league
is ready to redouble efforts to give blacks more head coaching
opportunities. Rhodes became only the third black head coach in NFL history
when he was hired to replace Rich Kotite on February 2, 1995.
He led a veteran team with limited star power to a 10-6 record and
playoff berth in his first season and was named coach of the year. The
Eagles were 10-6 and made the playoffs again in his second season, but are
9-22-1 since then.
The season-ending loss to the Giants guaranteed Philadelphia the No. 2
in the upcoming draft, their highest position since they took running back
Leroy Keyes in 1969. The expansion Cleveland Browns have the first pick.
The 3-13 record was the Eagles' worst winning percentage since 1972,
when Ed Khayat's team was 2-11-1. They were shut out three times in a
season for the first time since 1942 and became the first team in NFL
history to twice be shut out at home in the same season 38-0 to Seattle in
the season opener and 34-0 to Dallas on November 2 in a Monday night game.
The Eagles haven't won a road game since December 14, 1996 -- at the
Meadowlands against the Jets, a streak of 16 consecutive regular-season
games.
Rhodes reportedly is a contender for the defensive coordinator job in
Cleveland.
"I'm going to take a few weeks off, and then I'll look around and see
what's out there," he said.
The season-opening loss to Seattle was a harbinger of just how troubling
this season would become for fans waiting for their first championship
since 1960. The perennial playoff appearances and cocky defenses under
coach Buddy Ryan in the late '80s -- when Veterans Stadium was the "House
of Pain" seem a lifetime ago.
The Vet is a painful place again in Rhodes' fourth season, but not in a
good way.
"You would have to have a crystal ball to see how bad this pain was
going to be," Rhodes said.
The Eagles' only victories came against the Washington Redskins --
who were 0-5 at the time -- a 1-point win over the Detroit Lions and an
overtime victory against Vermeil's St. Louis Rams.
A long list of bad drafts and personnel decisions is blamed for the
team's decline in the Rhodes era. The trail of ineptitude started with the
decision to move up and draft defensive end Mike Mamula with the
seventh pick in the 1995 draft. It continued with the selection of
offensive tackle Jermaine Mayberry in 1996 and defensive end Jon Harris in 1997.
Free-agent mistakes during Rhodes' reign included signing George Hegamin ($10
million, five years) and letting running back Ricky Watters sign with
Seattle before this season without replacing him with a bona fide featured
back.
"I'm not happy with our drafts," said Lurie, taking one last swipe at
Rhodes. "... If you have intelligent people, you hope that your football
decisions will be smart and lucky at the same time."
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