Eagles Fire Defensive Line Coach Jim Washburn
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Eagles have dismissed defensive line coach Jim Washburn, the team announced.
Washburn will be replaced by former Eagles defensive line coach Tommy Brasher. Brasher was the Eagles defensive line coach in 1985, and again from 1999-2005.
"Jim is a fine football coach and we appreciate the efforts he gave to this team over the past two years," said head coach Andy Reid in a press release. "However, I determined that it was in the team's best interest that we move in a different direction in terms of trying to maximize the production of that position group. We look forward to having Tommy Brasher back on board to work with the defensive line."
"It's something I have been pondering," Reid said of Washburn's dismissal during his weekly press conference. "This was a move that I made, nobody else made this move. This is a move that I felt needed to be made now, so I did it now," Reid said. "This isn't a move to save my job, that's not what this is right here."
"There were some things that were going on that I was disappointed in," Reid said of Washburn.
Reid said Brasher will remain defensive line coach for the rest of the season.
The writing seemed like it was on the wall for Washburn when the team released defensive end Jason Babin, who had success in the NFL only in Washburn's system, and whose signing was a direct result of hiring Washburn.
The Eagles hired Washburn to bring his Wide 9 system to the Eagles in 2011. The Eagles led the NFL in sacks in 2011 with 50, but have just 20 so far in 2012.
