Three former Eagles assistant coaches, Panther head coach Ron Rivera, Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier, and Rams head coach Spagnuolo, who are now head coaches in the National Football League weighed in on the promotion of Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator’s position.
New Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera:
“First of all, Juan is one of the smartest and most dynamic coaches in the NFL. If anyone could cross over to the dark side [of defense], he’s the guy. Seriously, if anyone can do it, Juan Castillo is able to do it. I don’t know if I have seen anyone any more committed as a coach in this league than him. I was able to call on him so many times to understand how certain offenses worked and attacked. His knowledge of the game is very, very extensive and I consider him a mentor of mine in Philadelphia while I was working under Jim Johnson.”
That’s a strong endorsement when Rivera says he considers Castillo a mentor during his time with the Eagles.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier:
“I can remember Jim Johnson and our defensive staff putting our game plans together and we’d always get together with Juan just to make sure they were sound in terms of pressures and blitzes. Sometimes, I felt like he was on our defensive staff. And to do this day, he and I talk every week during the season to talk about other offenses in the league. That’s how much respect I have for him as a coach and how well he is able to understand the defensive schemes.”
The comments by Frazier definitely give me confidence that Castillo has the knowledge needed to be an outstanding defensive coordinator, but how long is it going to take for him to coach at that level. At this time in Reid’s era as the head coach, there’s no time to learn, he’s got to hit the ground running.
St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo:
“Great move by Coach Reid. Juan is a football junkie who has always studied the entire game. He’s a detailed, aggressive, and passionate football coach – all attributes vital to coaching defense. I wish him all the best.”
Coach Spagnuolo seems to know that he’s got another guy to battle.
I would have preferred moss. At least we know Juan is a worker & very smart.
I do seem to remember alot of people giving the Eagles organization flak for trading McNabb, releasing Dawkins, etc… And the Eagles continuously have the “last laugh”. We shall see…
I’m so surprised that members of the coaching fraternity are so positive. I’d also point out Ron Rivera’s comment ” If anyone could cross over to the dark side [of defense], he’s the guy” Certainly, “if anyone could” implies this is a challenging change. Yeah, lets pick someone that not only has to transition to the new challenges of going from a line coach to a Coordinator but let’s also cross over to the other side of the ball.
You know, getting to the pinnacle of the NFL is amazingly difficult following a traditional path so why throw more challenges in the way? Boy, I love it when they take any path but the tried a true methods that have been working in the NFL for many, many years!
Yeah, I know, far from a positive reaction to this move. Just sick and tired of Reid and the FO.
@CT – I see having the last laugh as taking non-traditional steps and winning it all, not taking non-tradiditonal steps and still not winning it all year after year.
@Maybe
I see the last laugh as rebuilding our whole roster from scratch and the majority of our coaching staff and still being to even have the ounce of hope we have to bring a championship to this city, or even make the playoffs at that matter.
At least Big andy is probably done if Juan doesn’t succeed
who says Moss doesn’t come aboard as LBs coach? Sure, he talks like he wants to be DC, just like Kolb wants to start…. of course. How nice would that be? As far as I know, shuey gone means open at LB coach in addition to secondary. Unless Zordich coaches the enitre secondary.
I say Moss for LB coach is something to watch out for. You could definitely argue that it would be hard to get him to do it….
Moss wants to be a DC, and besides…… I am pretty sure he is under contract. He couldn’t come here unless he was promoted, which would be to DC or HC.
Sometime teams get away with it with the added title “Assistant to the DC & LB Coach” which on the surface is a promtion from a standard as a “LB Coach” though all position coaches are somehow
really all assistants to the DC in one way or another..
I think Castillo will be concentrating on the LB’s, the fron 4 with DL Coach Washburn, and the real need is now a Def Secondary Coach,maybe this D Perry from the Packers or the coaches from Vikings/Bears that they talked to. I think Coach AR has become de facto the DC of the Eagles and will help game plan and scheme with Castillo, but I think Coach Ar will call many blitzes and coverages, player packages during the games to Castillo
This is all very nice but what has Castillo really accomplished. I’m not sure he’s a good offensive line coach based on the product that he’s but on the field. I think most Eagle fans think that the offensive line has been a weakness over the years ……….remember the Super bowl sacks? Maybe they were concerned about losing him to Cleveland.
What else are these former Eagles coaches going to say. Bad move Andy is an idiot. Juan is in over his head. Give me a break. This circus is about to end.
All these guys just became head coaches and needed to fill a staff why didnt they fire him as DC? Oh wait they hired the one we FIRED!!!
Propaganda and lies. Keep burying your heads in the sand FO groupies…you must love not winning the Super Bowl . Lets get them Wind turbines up on the Linc!!!
Is a good Hire. Puzzling at first blush but after some thought it is good.
Just gotta get rid of the “Howie Roseman” types….has no business evaluating talent, None.
This is outrageous here we go like the liitle dutch boy putting our finger in a dike that is about to collapse. No superbowl next year also VICK will get franchised and leave next year and we will not have a starting QB and will have to try to pluge holes with inadequate players like we always do without fixing the problem and the team will never be ELITE.
@BigE
exactly, you are not going to hear a former coach rip him!
this move is utterly ridiculous … i cannot see this working out well for a struggling defense … i hope i am wrong but it is very tough to see the bright side of this hire!!!
The curse of that goofy ass hat is upon us. Please JC, shed the Ranger cap and sport a visor.
Looking at it from the outside wisdom would tell me “this is just a reach and won’t work”.But I just have this gut feeling that Juan is going to do a fine job as a defensive coordinator.What he is going to need is a couple players be that through free agency or at least our first rd draft choice to his side of the ball.This is where sitting on their hands and doing nothing the last couple years in the way of signings hurts as the team has developed more holes that need to be filled on that o line and several on defense.But this is what happens to your team when your top player personnel guy is a accountant so he has done his job as profits are higher than ever before but we need a payer on that D