Report: Eagles to interview Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter
The Eagles have requested permission from the Colts to interview offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter for the Eagles’ offensive coordinator vacancy, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Cooter was with Nick Sirianni on Romeo Crennell’s Chiefs staff in 2012 and spent 2021 with the Eagles as an offensive consultant.
Sirianni spoke highly of Cooter when he was with the team in 2021.
“Obviously, he’s got a lot of experience and he’s a great football mind,” he said. “I think very highly of him. He’s doing special projects for me and consulting here, which has been great. I just think this is really important: When you put a new play into your system that you maybe saw on tape, I think it’s very easy for a coach to do that and be like, ‘Oh, I saw that on tape. This looks great. I’m just going to throw it my offense.’
“Well, do you know everything there is to know about that play? I’m not saying Jim Bob knows everything there is to know about every play, but what he is able to do is while we’re doing something else, he’s able to go research that play. I’ve already seen the benefit of that with a couple new wrinkles we have in this offense. So really excited to have him. I haven’t really ever had that on a staff, and sometimes it deters you from putting in a play that you might like. So we have really gotten a lot out of him and really excited he’s here.”
After serving as Jaguars passing game coordinator under Doug Pederson in 2022, Cooter joined Shane Steichen’s coaching staff as offensive coordinator in 2023 after Steichen left the Eagles.
He previously served as Lions offensive coordinator under Jim Caldwell and Matt Patricia from 2016 through 2018. He was also Jets running backs coach under Adam Gase in 2019 and 2020.
Previously, he served as an offensive assistant with the Colts under Caldwell from 2009 through 2011 and an offensive quality control coach with the Broncos under John Fox in 2013.
In his three years as Steichen’s offensive coordinator, the Colts ranked 10th, 17th and 8th in total offense. Overall, they were 9th in points and 12th in total yards during Cooter’s three years as offensive coordinator.
This year, the Colts went 8-9 after an 8-2 start but ranked 8th in scoring and 8th in yards per play, with Daniel Jones enjoying a breakthrough season before a season-ending injury and Salem’s Jonathan Taylor piling up nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns.
Because Steichen calls plays in Indy and Cooter would here, a move to the Eagles would be considered a promotion and not a lateral move.
Other known candidates for the vacancy that opened up last week when the Eagles fired Kevin Patullo are one-time Eagles draft pick Mike Kafka, Brian Daboll’s offensive coordinator since 2022, and Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. They have reportedly already interviewed Kafka and Robinson. \
