Andy Reid was officially fired Monday after weeks and months of speculation that this would be his 14th and final year in Philadelphia. He probably won't be out of work long but now the Eagles begin the search for his replacement.
Whomever succeeds Reid will have plenty to work with; rookie Nick Foles could be the team's franchise quarterback, and rookie backfield mate Bryce Brown might be an explosive complement to LeSean McCoy. Then there's DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek to go along with an offensive line that should be healthy for the first time since 2011.
In the meantime, here's a quick look at some possible (and not so possible) candidates.
Bill O'Brien, Penn State head coach, former Patriots offensive coordinator: O'Brien impressed NFL teams last offseason but he'll be in higher demand this time around after the season he put together in Happy Valley.
Odds: 7 to 1
Jon Gruden, Monday Night Football color commentator, former Raiders and Buccaneers head coach and Eagles offensive coordinator: Gruden's name pops up every time there's a job opening. In theory, the hire makes sense but the reality is that it's probably not happening.
Odds: 1 billion to 1
Mike McCoy, Broncos offensive coordinator: It's one thing to coach a future Hall of Famer like Peyton Manning but McCoy fashioned an offense around Tim Tebow and Denver won the division. That's impressive.
Odds: 10 to 1
Chip Kelly, Oregon head coach. Kelly apparently wants a big role in personnel decisions, something owner Jeffrey Lurie isn't likely to go for after 14 years with Reid.
Odds: 100 to 1 if he wants final personnel say, 2 to 1 if he doesn't
Greg Roman, 49ers offensive coordinator: As Birds' Nest's Brian Soloman noted last week, "The results speak for themselves -- in college or the pros, with (Andrew) Luck, (Alex) Smith or (Colin) Kaepernick. Whether the Eagles end up developing Foles or another young quarterback, Roman's ability to adapt his scheme and add new wrinkles would be helpful."
Odds: 8 to 1
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Bruce Arians, Colts offensive coordinator: The man knows quarterbacks. He was Peyton Manning's first QB coach in Indy back in 1998 and was the offensive coordinator when the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger went to the Super Bowl in 2008 and 2010. Oh, and he had the same role with the Colts and Andrew Luck in 2012 on a team that went from two wins a year ago to 11-5 this time around.
Odds: 50 to 1
Pete Carmichael, Saints offensive coordinator: He's been impressive with Drew Brees as his quarterback, but who wouldn't?
Odds: 50 to 1
Steve Spagnuolo, Saints defensive coordinator and former Eagles assistant: If this were 2007, Spags would be in demand. But he was a failure as the Rams' head coach and now anonymous Saints players are calling him out after one year as New Orleans' defensive coordinator.
Odds: 2 billion to 1
Dirk Koetter, Falcons offensive coordinator: Atlanta signed Koetter to a contract on Wednesday but that doesn't mean he's not interested in being a head coach. If nothing else, it just goes to show: having a franchise quarterback makes it a lot easier to coach. A year ago, Koetter was let go by the Jags. Now he looks pretty good after working with Matt Ryan.
Odds: 25 to 1
Ray Horton, Cardinals defensive coordinator: Horton is the only defensive coach on this list and that should tell you how well respected he is as possible head coach.
Odds: 50 to 1
Take your pick: Marty Mornhinweg, Juan Castillo, Bobby April: Better chance Michael Vick returns to Philly and leads the Eagles to a 16-0 record while throwing passes right-handed than any of these Reid assistants landing the job.
Odds: off
