January 14, 2016

So, who is Doug Pederson? More on the Eagles next head coach

By Matt Mullin
PhillyVoice Staff

On Thursday, the news broke that Doug Pederson will be named the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Fans seemed largely disappointed, but with a lack of overwhelming options remaining, that was somewhat expected.

While Pederson's name may be familiar to Eagles fans, his background -- outside of his ties to Philadelphia -- may not be as well known. Here's what you need to know about the guy who is expected to be named the Birds' next coach.

• Pederson is originally from Bellingham, Wash., but attended Northeast Louisiana, where he played quarterback.

• Pederson played 12 NFL seasons, including one with the Eagles (1999). He went 2-7 in nine starts with the Eagles before being replaced by that year's first-round draft pick, Donovan McNabb. Pederson also spent time backing up Dan Marino and Brett Favre.

Here's a look at where he spent the rest of his playing career:

LEVEL	YEARS	TEAM
College	----------	----------
	1986-90	Northeast Louisiana*
Professional	----------	----------
	1992	NY/NJ Knights (WLAF)
	1993-94	Miami Dolphins
	1995	Rhein Fire (WLAF)
	1995-98	Green Bay Packers
	1999	Philadelphia Eagles
	2000	Cleveland Brown
	2001-04	Green Bay Packers

*Now University of Louisiana at Monroe.

• This adorable picture of Pederson exists.

Doug Pederson during #Eagles training camp back in 1999… pic.twitter.com/WZzgQIQRsa
— Matt Mullin (@matt_mullin) January 14, 2016

• As recently as 2008, Pederson was coaching high school football in Shreveport, La. That can be viewed one of two ways, likely depending on how you already feel about Pederson being the Eagles' next coach. If you like the hire, then the 47-year-old is a fast-riser. If you don't like the hire to begin with, then it's a knock on his experience. Still, he was playing in the league as recently as 12 years ago -- and he had to start somewhere. And for the record, Pederson was 40-11 four seasons at Calvary Baptist Academy and helped the school capture its first district title.

• All of Pederson's NFL experience has come under Andy Reid. The former Eagles head coach not only coached Pederson but also gave him his first NFL coaching job in 2009 when he was hired as the offensive quality control coach. In 2011, Pederson was promoted to quarterbacks coach and when Reid was fired by the Eagles after the 2012 season, he brought Pederson with him to Kansas City as his offensive coordinator.

• Pederson split play-calling duties with Reid in KC. During their three seasons there, they've run a balanced offense, one that's become more balanced over time, despite losing the likes of Jamaal Charles for most of the 2015 season.

YEAR	TOTAL	RUSH	PASS
2015	909	436 (48%)	473 (52%)
2014	913	420 (46%)	493 (54%)
2013	442 (45%)	442 (45%)	546 (55%)

• Pederson's offenses haven't ranked all that highly. Here's a look at how it's stacked up during his three seasons with the Chiefs:

They can put up points, but they've never cracked the top 20 in yards. However, they're very good at protecting the football, ranking in the top five in fewest giveaways each year. That's due in large part to the fact that QB Alex Smith rarely throws interceptions. Sure, he doesn't throw all that much and when he does, it's usually on short routes, but all that means is Pederson is using his quarterback in the way that best highlights Smith's skill set.

• Alex Smith has put up the best numbers of his career under Pederson. Take a look:

• Pederson has a birthday coming up. He'll turn 48 on January 31.

• Pederson and his wife, Jeannie, have three sons (Drew, Josh and Joel). The oldest, Drew, played quarterback at Moorestown High and has two years of eligibility left at Samford University.

• You can make some pretty funny anagrams with his name.