Eagles OL: Chip Kelly was a power-hungry 'dictator' who didn't listen
If it wasn't already clear why the Philadelphia Eagles parted ways with head coach Chip Kelly this week -- after the franchise endured what the owner called the "most disappointing season" of his life -- it sure is now.
It's not because Kelly couldn't win games as a coach, which he's actually done remarkably well through the first three years of his NFL career (so well, in fact, that it makes you wonder if it's actually a bit nuts to fire him).
It's because Kelly failed miserably in his personnel responsibilities and, probably more importantly, he failed at the basic task of managing relationships with his people. The latter failure was driven home even further on Wednesday by harsh comments from Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson.
Johnson spoke with reporters at the team's facility and crushed Kelly's personality, his leadership style and his fast-paced offense.
"Maybe the ego got in the way," Johnson said. "Too much power. Control. Not being human about things; not working together, with the team, instead of being a dictator."
On the front-office power struggle that resulted in Kelly obtaining authority over personnel, Johnson said: "Just a lot of tension up there that didn't need to happen, because when you throw it up there, it does trickle down to the team, and the team knows what's going on . . . We always knew there was a little bit of tension -- knew it wasn't just sunshine and rainbows."
Johnson said that Kelly created an environment where he wouldn't listen to alternative views of his philosophies. If a player offered a different thought, he was cast as someone going in a different direction than the team, which would most likely result in the player being gone. Johnson was asked if it was a culture based on fear: "To be honest, yeah. We'd tell our position coaches, but I don't know if it ever leaves that room . . . Maybe there was an intimidation factor . . . After Shady and all those guys were (subtracted), it opened up some eyes."
Before Johnson was done with his interviews, he made sure to take aim at the offense and year-round practice routines Kelly brought from Oregon and tried to implement in the NFL. From Philly.com:
Johnson didn't just rip Kelly without giving him credit. He did recognize Kelly as a "brilliant coach," but it is more than clear Kelly needs to be more open-minded at his next job and not bring a one-size-fits-all mentality to the NFL.
Teddy Mitrosilis works in social content development at FOX Sports Digital. Follow him on Twitter @TMitrosilis and email him at tmitrosilis@gmail.com.
