Eagles revamp Coaching staff

The Philadelphia Eagles today named Ted Daisher as special teams coordinator, Rory Segrest as defensive line coach, James Urban as quarterbacks coach, and Doug Pederson as offensive quality control coach. Additionally, defensive line coach Pete Jenkins has announced his retirement.

Now in his second stint in Philadelphia, Daisher, 53, is entering his sixth season in the NFL and his first as the Eagles special teams coordinator. He most recently spent two seasons as the special teams coordinator in Cleveland (2007-08). In 2007, the Browns boasted three Pro Bowlers - K Phil Dawson, LS Ryan Pontbriand and KR Joshua Cribbs, who led the league with a 30.7 kickoff return average.

Daisher was Oakland’s special teams coordinator in 2006, after spending the previous two seasons (2004-05) as the Eagles special teams quality control coach under then Eagles special teams coordinator and current Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. He has 22 seasons of experience as an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks, including stints at East Carolina (2001-02), Indiana (1998-2000), Army (1995-97), Cincinnati (1989-92), Eastern Michigan (1985-88), Northern Illinois (1980-84), and Illinois (1979). He was a wide receiver and defensive back at Western Michigan (1975-77).

"Ted broke into the league with us, so I have had the chance to see him coach," said head coach Andy Reid. "Then he moved on and had success in Oakland and for the last couple of years in Cleveland. I had the chance to interview a few guys, and Ted did a great job. Ted became the obvious choice to fill this role.”

Segrest, 35, served as the Eagles special teams coordinator for the last two seasons after initially joining the club as a special teams quality control coach in 2006. During that time he has also assisted with the defensive line. Under his tutelage, K David Akers set multiple single-season team records in 2008, including most field goals (33) and most points (144). P Sav Rocca developed into a steady performer, and has averaged 42.7 yards per punt in his two-year career. Prior to joining the Eagles, Segrest spent four years at Samford (2002-05), where he served as the defensive line coach, special teams coordinator, and recruiting coordinator.

Segrest played offensive tackle at Alabama (1991-93), before beginning his coaching career there as a student assistant in 1994. He later served as a graduate assistant at Alabama (1996) and at Auburn (1997-98). Segrest went on to coach at Southeast Missouri State (1999-01), where he held several positions, including defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator, and tackles and tight ends coach.

Said Reid of Segrest: "Rory did a nice job with special teams, but his first love is the defensive line. When he came here, he was also the assistant defensive line coach, so he continued to work with the defensive line even when he was the special teams coordinator. This allows him to step in and work with the players, who have a familiar face and familiar techniques and schemes to work with."

Urban, 35, spent the last two seasons as the Eagles offensive assistant/quality control coach, after serving as the assistant to the head coach from 2004-06. He began his coaching career at Clarion, as an assistant coach (1997-98), working with the wide receivers and tight ends. Urban later moved to the University of Pennsylvania where he served as the director of football administration (1999) and as director of football operations (2000-03). A native of Mechanicsburg, PA, Urban played wide receiver and kick returner for Washington and Lee University in Virginia from 1992-95.

"James is a good, young coach,” said Reid. “He demonstrated that as a quality control coach. He is very efficient and we felt he had put himself in a position, having worked with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, to be elevated to that spot.”

A former Eagles quarterback, Pederson, 40, spent the last four years as head coach of Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, LA. In that time he compiled a 33-7 record in the regular season and led the Cavaliers to their first district title in school history (2007). A 12-year NFL veteran, Pederson spent time with Miami (1993-95), Green Bay (1995-98, 2001-04), Philadelphia (1999) and Cleveland (2000), compiling 2,762 passing yards on 522 attempts and 12 touchdowns. His best season came with the Eagles in 1999, when he threw for 1,276 yards and 7 touchdowns in nine starts. A native of Bellingham, WA, and a collegiate star at Louisiana-Monroe, Pederson originally signed as a rookie free agent with Miami in 1991.

"He has a great ability to share ideas with people," said Reid. "I thought Doug did a tremendous job working with Donovan McNabb when Donovan was a rookie learning the system. Doug helped explain the offense to him from a player's standpoint. Doug started up a high school program in Louisiana and did an outstanding job there. He has a nice feel for coaching."

Jenkins, 67, retires following a 39-year coaching career at the collegiate and professional levels. Said Reid of Jenkins: "Pete had three phenomenal years here. He had big shoes to fill after Tommy Brasher retired, and Pete came in and did a heck of a job with our defensive line. He is leaving here with a better defensive line than was here when he arrived and that is always a tribute to the coach."