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  • Kevin Patullo out as Eagles offensive coordinator

    Kevin Patullo out as Eagles offensive coordinator

    The Eagles fell from eighth in total offense in 2024 to 24th in 2025. Their historic running game from 2024 fell off despite returning 10 of 11 starters. And in the end, it is first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo who will face the consequences.

    The Eagles announced Tuesday that Patullo had been removed as offensive coordinator two days after they were knocked from the NFL playoffs with a 23-19 home defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, a game that was a microcosm of the season for the Eagles and their offense.

    It is possible that Patullo could remain on the staff in another role, according to a source.

    The Eagles managed just six points in the second half against a banged-up and below-average 49ers defense that seemed there for the taking. Their playoff hopes ended and Patullo’s fate was sealed when Jalen Hurts threw an incomplete pass into triple coverage on fourth-and-11 from San Francisco’s 21-yard line with 40 seconds left in the game.

    The Eagles kept things in house when they elevated Patullo, who has been with the team since head coach Nick Sirianni was hired in 2021, from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator a year ago after Kellen Moore left to become the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. But continuity on the coaching staff did not result in continued offensive success for the Eagles.

    In a statement, Sirianni said he “met with Kevin today to discuss the difficult decision.”

    “He has been integral to the team’s success over the last five years, not only to the on-the-field product but behind the scenes as a valued leader for our players and organization,” Sirianni said.

    “Ultimately, when we fall short of our goals, that responsibility lies on my shoulders.”

    The Jalen Hurts roller coaster is about to lose Kevin Patullo. How will the next rider fare?

    Some of the Eagles’ issues were out of Patullo’s control. A once-elite offensive line, for example, was rarely if ever at full strength. But other things were in his control, like the play-calling and the scheming of an offense that couldn’t force teams out of stacked boxes with a dynamic enough aerial assault. Or scheming a running offense that found ways to utilize Saquon Barkley’s skill set and find him more space.

    Kevin Patullo talks with Jalen Hurts on fourth down late in the fourth quarter against the 49ers.

    To Patullo’s credit, the Eagles had the most efficient red zone offense in the league and turned opportunities into touchdowns at a higher rate (70.45%) than any other team. Getting into the red zone, however, was an issue. The Eagles had a higher three-and-out percentage than even the New York Jets and too often were stagnant offensively.

    Patullo’s removal as coordinator marks the second time the Eagles internally hired and then removed a first-year offensive coordinator in the last three seasons. They elevated Brian Johnson from quarterbacks coach to coordinator in 2023 and then fired him after a smaller regression than the one Patullo oversaw.

    Free-agent moves? Stars moving on? Answering all of the Eagles’ biggest offseason questions

    Patullo, 44, spent time with Sirianni on the Indianapolis Colts coaching staff and was brought to the Eagles with Sirianni in 2021 as the passing game coordinator. Patullo added an associate head coach title in 2023 before becoming offensive coordinator. Before the Eagles, Patullo was a passing game specialist with the Colts and also spent time as the team’s wide receivers coach.

    The Eagles’ next offensive coordinator will be the seventh play-caller Hurts has had in the NFL in what will be his seventh NFL season. Before Patullo, Hurts had Doug Pederson, Sirianni, Shane Steichen, Johnson, and Moore. Hurts also had six play-callers in college.

    The next one will be a critical hire charged with revamping a high-priced offense. The Eagles are likely to cast a wide net.

    This is a developing story that may be updated.

    Staff writer Jeff McLane contributed to this article.

  • New minor league hockey team in Trenton will be named the Ironhawks

    New minor league hockey team in Trenton will be named the Ironhawks

    It’s been about four months since it was announced that pro hockey was returning to Trenton after a 13-year hiatus. On Tuesday, that hockey team officially got a name: the Ironhawks.

    The Ironhawks, who will begin play next season in the ECHL, the third tier of North American professional hockey, announced the name and unveiled the team’s logo on Tuesday at CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton. The team, which will serve as the ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, landed on the name after a two-month name-the-team contest that featured over 2,000 entries.

    “Today marks an important milestone as we officially announce our franchise name, the Trenton Ironhawks, and prepare to bring a new era of professional ECHL hockey to Trenton,” team president Bob Ohrablo said.

    “The hawk symbolizes strength and spirit, while the iron industry and its workers remain vital to Trenton’s economy through their grit and determination. By combining these elements into Ironhawks, we honor Trenton and reflect the team we are building, representing the city and the surrounding region, including Central New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.”

    Trenton was officially awarded the franchise, which was previously based in Utah, in September, with new owner Pro Hockey Partners moving the team. The city was previously home to the Titans, who played in the ECHL from 1999 until they folded in 2013. The Titans won their lone Kelly Cup in 2005.

    “The return of ECHL hockey to Trenton is extremely exciting as we welcome the market back to our North Division for the 2026-27 Season amidst new teams and rivalries in the region,” ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said in September. “The original ECHL team served as a catalyst to the opening of CURE Insurance Arena back in 1999 and growing the hockey community in New Jersey, and we look forward to reinvigorating the live entertainment experience in the marketplace with an ownership and operating group that is experienced in developmental league sports.”

    The Ironhawks’ primary colors will be blue, gray, and red, while the logo is a silver iron-coated hawk with blue and red accents that is landing on a hockey stick. The hawk’s eyes are red to represent the fire and intensity in his eyes, according to the team’s release.

    “The arrival of the Trenton Ironhawks is an exciting moment for our city,” Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said. “This team brings new energy to the CURE Insurance Arena and creates opportunities for residents, visitors, and local businesses alike. The name Ironhawks reflects Trenton’s industrial roots and the strength and resilience that define this community. This is a proud new chapter for Trenton sports.”

  • Rick Tocchet wants the scuffling Flyers to simplify: ‘We’re going to have to really dummy it down a little bit’

    Rick Tocchet wants the scuffling Flyers to simplify: ‘We’re going to have to really dummy it down a little bit’

    The Flyers are the fourth-youngest team in the NHL, with an average age of just under 27. Just 11 of the Flyers’ 23 roster players have played in the NHL playoffs. Of those 11, only six have played more than six postseason games.

    The Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division standings are extremely tight. The Flyers currently sit third in the division with 52 points in 44 games. The last-place Columbus Blue Jackets are just seven points back, with 45 points, which is why it’s key for the Flyers not to let their three-game losing streak snowball further on their upcoming road trip.

    Three lessons the Flyers need to learn from back-to-back blowout losses to the Lightning

    The back-to-back against Buffalo and Pittsburgh pits them against two teams that are right on their heels in the fight for a playoff spot. Coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday after an optional practice that he thinks guys are “squeezing their sticks a little bit,” and it’s contributing to their lack of success on the power play and over the last three games.

    “Early on, [Tampa Bay’s] first goal [in the Lightning’s 5-1 win on Monday] … there’s four or five mistakes,” he said. “You can’t have four or five mistakes on a shift, and it’s in the net, then you’re behind the eight ball, then guys squeeze the stick, and then they get frustrated.”

    Tocchet pointed to the success of players like Tampa Bay superstar Nikita Kucherov, who cuts to the middle of the ice on the power play instead of sticking along the boards, as someone he wants players like Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras to emulate.

    But right now, the Flyers are not making the right reads, and it’s preventing them from loosening up and being aggressive. Tocchet mentioned Brandon Hagel’s power-play goal in Monday’s loss as an example of something he wants to see more from the Flyers, instead of deferring to find the perfect one-timer opportunity with the man advantage.

    “He tried to cross ice pass, doesn’t connect, the puck comes right back up, he sees an opening to shoot it, scores a goal,” Tocchet said. “We get it, we see an opening, but for some reason, we have a tough time pulling that trigger.”

    Travis Sanheim credited the Flyers’ lack of power play success to poor communication, leading to players being out of sync on their reads away from the puck.

    The Flyers’ power play is tied for second worst in the NHL this season, converting on just 15.3% of opportunities.

    Rick Tocchet mentioned Nikita Kucherov as someone Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras should emulate when it comes to getting to the middle of the ice.

    “The stuff that I get frustrated with is how [do] you not retain it,” Tocchet said. “We have to think of a way for players to retain some of the information we give them, because we’re not giving them a lot. Maybe early in the season we did, which wasn’t bad, but now we’re going to have to really dummy it down a little bit.”

    As one of the more experienced players in the locker room, Sanheim is trying to lead by example as the Flyers enter this pivotal stretch, to keep everyone on the same page and moving in the right direction.

    “Games are going to continue to get harder as we go along here,” Sanheim said. “It doesn’t get any easier. The race gets tighter, it already is tight, and just understanding that every play matters, and every battle matters, and it’s just a lot harder to win hockey games. You have to do the hard things to be successful in this league, and you have to do it on a consistent basis.”

    Flyers fall again to the Lightning 5-1, extend losing streak to three games

    Breakaways

    Rasmus Ristolainen, Bobby Brink, Adam Ginning, Nic Deslauriers, and Sam Ersson took the ice for the optional skate on Tuesday. … Brink and Jamie Drysdale are both a “possibility” to play on the road trip, Tocchet said. After practice, the Flyers loaned Ginning back to Lehigh Valley in a move that might hint that Drysdale is good to go on Wednesday. … The Colorado Avalanche’s ECHL affiliate will move from Utah to Trenton, and be renamed the Trenton Ironhawks, starting in the 2026-27 season.

  • Mike Tomlin steps down after 19 seasons as Steelers coach

    Mike Tomlin steps down after 19 seasons as Steelers coach

    PITTSBURGH — The Mike Tomlin era in Pittsburgh is over.

    The longest-tenured head coach in major American professional sports stepped down from his job leading the Steelers on Tuesday after yet another quick playoff exit.

    The announcement came a day after the end of his 19th season in Pittsburgh, where he was a relative unknown when he was hired to replace Bill Cowher in early 2007.

    “Obviously, I am extremely grateful to Mike for all the hard work, dedication and success we have shared over the last 19 years. It is hard for me to put into words the level of respect and appreciation I have for Coach Tomlin,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “He guided the franchise to our sixth Super Bowl championship and made the playoffs 13 times during his tenure, including winning the AFC North eight times in his career. His track record of never having a losing season in 19 years will likely never be duplicated.”

    Tomlin won one Super Bowl and went to another during his first four seasons in Pittsburgh before the club settled into a pattern of solid if not always spectacular play followed by a playoff cameo that ended with the Steelers on the wrong side of a blowout.

    Eagles coach Nick Sirianni (left) and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin meet on the field after an Eagles win on Oct. 30, 2022.

    The 53-year-old Tomlin won 193 regular-season games in Pittsburgh, tied with Hall of Famer Chuck Noll for the most victories in franchise history. But their resumés diverged when it comes to the playoffs. While Noll won four Super Bowls in the 1970s, Tomlin went just 8-12 in the postseason, losing each of his last seven playoff games, all by double-digit margins.

    The last came on Monday night, when the AFC North champions squandered some early momentum before getting blown out, 30-6, by Houston, the most lopsided home playoff loss in team history.

    There were chants of “Fire Tomlin!” as the clock kicked toward zero, though they weren’t nearly as impassioned as they were in late November while the Steelers were getting pushed around by Buffalo in a loss that dropped their record to 6-6.

    Tomlin, as is his way, did his best to tune out the noise and his team responded, the way it seemingly always did during his tenure. Pittsburgh won four of its final five games, including a sweep of Baltimore that gave the club its first AFC North title since 2020.

    The optimism, however, dimmed once the Texans asserted themselves. The NFL’s top-ranked defense suffocated Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh’s offense while the league’s highest-paid defense wilted late.

    It was a familiar and frustrating pattern for a place where, as Tomlin noted not long after his introduction, “the standard is the standard.”

    And while that remains the case for a team whose members walk by six Lombardi Trophies every day on their way to work, the results had plateaued. The Steelers finished with nine or 10 wins in each of Tomlin’s final five seasons, often doing just enough to squeak into the playoffs before being exposed by a more talented opponent.

    Tomlin had two years left on the contract extension he signed in 2024, with the club holding the option for 2027.

    His departure leaves the Steelers looking for a head coach for just the third time since they hired Noll in 1969.

  • Penn State and Temple swing big in the college football transfer portal. Here’s what to know.

    Penn State and Temple swing big in the college football transfer portal. Here’s what to know.

    Some are calling Penn State the Nittany Cyclones. Take one look at the Nittany Lions’ transfer portal additions and it is easy to see why.

    Since the portal opened on Jan. 2, Penn State reportedly has added 35 players, and 22 of them are from Iowa State, following their former head coach Matt Campbell to Happy Valley.

    That list includes Iowa State’s top passer (Rocco Becht), top rusher (Carson Hansen), three of its top receiving targets (Chase Sowell, Benjamin Brahmer, and Brett Eskildsen), two of the three top tacklers (Marcus Neal and Caleb Bacon), and two of the three top interception leaders (Neal and Jamison Patton).

    In addition, Penn State brought in Becht’s backup, Alex Manske, to be the potential future quarterback after 2026. Brahmer’s backups at tight end, Greg Burkle and Cooper Alexander, are also joining the Nittany Lions.

    However, 50 players from Penn State’s roster in 2025 had entered the portal as of Monday night, meaning Campbell and his staff have their work cut out for them to continue to build up the roster for next season and beyond. Among those key departures include Chaz Coleman, Zuriah Fisher, Ethan Grunkemeyer, Amare Campbell, Dejuan Lane, King Mack, A.J. Harris, and Luke Reynolds.

    Penn State adds Ikaika Malloe and Tyson Veidt to coaching staff

    But the staff has also retained 33 players from last season’s roster, including starters Anthony Donkoh, Tony Rojas, Audavion Collins, Ryan Barker, and Zion Tracy, along with several other key contributors like Max Granville, Andrew Rappleyea, Cooper Cousins, and prized freshmen Koby Howard and Daryus Dixson.

    Outside of Becht and some key starters who transferred in from Iowa State, Penn State added potential key contributors in UCLA defensive tackles Keanu Williams and Siale Taupaki, both of whom worked closely with new defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, and Ohio State running back James Peoples, who scored three touchdowns this season.

    Ohio State’s James Peoples hurdles UCLA Bruins defensive back Cole Martin on his way to scoring a touchdown on Nov. 15.

    The Nittany Lions also made additions along the offensive line, which is losing four of its five starters from last year. Brock Riker, a redshirt freshman who started at center for Texas State last season, is transferring to Penn State, and allowed just six pressures over 800 snaps in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. Along with Riker, Iowa State transfer offensive lineman Trevor Buhr brings in starting experience at left guard, while several offensive linemen from the Cyclones’ roster, including Will Tompkins, Vaea Ikakoula, and Kuol Kuol II, figure to be part of the future.

    Since the portal opened, Penn State ranks third in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings and is up to 49th in the site’s overall team rankings.

    Temple making additions

    After pulling in the largest high school recruiting class in school history in December, Temple isn’t done adding to its roster for next season and beyond, utilizing the transfer portal to pick up some key players.

    The school had added 20 players through the portal as of Monday, with 11 of them coming from Power Four schools. Two of the additions were quarterbacks who could compete for the starting quarterback position next season.

    Among the transfers is running back Samuel Brown V, who played at La Salle College High School and spent four seasons at Rutgers. Brown burst on the scene as freshman for the Scarlet Knights, posting a 101-yard rushing game before suffering a season-ending injury seven games into the campaign. He was buried on the depth chart behind Kyle Monangai and Antwon Raymond the next three seasons and totaled 828 yards and eight touchdowns in 28 games.

    Samuel Brown scores a receiving touchdown against Howard on Aug 29, 2024.

    A few other players from the area or New Jersey are also transferring to Temple. Illinois safety Saboor Karriem (West Orange, N.J.), Albany defensive lineman Deshon Dodson (Neumann Goretti), and Central Florida defensive back Jaeden Gould (Somerset, N.J.) join Brown as players with ties to the region.

    Temple also is bringing in former Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik and Washington State signal caller Ajani Sheppard, neither of whom has starting experience.

    Villanova is losing key starters from its FCS semifinal team. Could the transfer portal be an option to retool?

    Sheppard began his career at Rutgers, where he intersected with Evan Simon, and played 37 snaps, attempted two passes, and had four rushes for 34 yards in two seasons. He did not see the field at Washington State in 2025.

    Smolik was buried on Penn State’s depth chart behind Drew Allar and Beau Pribula in 2023, was out for the season with an injury in 2024, and appeared in just three games in 2025 after losing the backup role to Grunkemeyer in the preseason. He has never attempted a pass in a college game and rushed four times in a loss to Iowa earlier this season before leaving that game with a wrist injury.

    Jaxon Smolik scrambles during the first quarter against Iowa on Oct 18.

    The duo joins a quarterback corps full of young, inexperienced players, including rising sophomore Camren Boykin along with incoming recruits Lamar Best, Brody Norman, and Brady Palmer. Boykin did not appear in a game in 2025, and the program lost Simon, Gevani McCoy, and Anthony Chiccitt to graduation while Tyler Douglas and Patrick Keller entered the portal. Smolik and Sheppard will likely have the chance to compete for the starting role during the spring and potentially summer camp, as McCoy and Simon did last year.

    K.C. Keeler and the Owls pulled in four players from Penn State (Smolik, Kaleb Artis, Kolin Dinkins, and Joey Schlaffer) and three from Rutgers (Brown, John Stone, and Zach Aamland).

    Of the positions the Owls restocked the most, the line, secondary, and wide receiver seem to be a heavy focus. All three offensive linemen (Stone, Aamland, Louisville’s Ransom McDermott) and safeties (Karriem, Gould, Dinkins) came from Power Four schools, while just one of the four defensive linemen and wide receiver transfers was a Power Four addition.

    The portal additions included players from the Football Championship Subdivision (Lafayette DL Jaylon Joseph, Stony Brook WR Jayce Freeman, Albany’s Dodson) and Division II (Midwestern State WR Demonte Greene, Tiffin DL Kevin Hornbeak).

  • Diamondbacks acquire Nolan Arenado in a deal with the Cardinals

    Diamondbacks acquire Nolan Arenado in a deal with the Cardinals

    PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado from St. Louis for minor league pitcher Jack Martinez in a trade Tuesday in which the Cardinals also are including $31 million.

    A 10-time Gold Glove winner, Arenado has played for the Cardinals the last five seasons and was shopped extensively after the 2024 season by the rebuilding team. The 34-year-old isn’t the offensive force he used to be but will still provide a veteran presence at the position after the D-backs traded slugger Eugenio Suárez at last season’s trade deadline.

    Arenado batted. .237 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs last season. He has two years remaining on his contract worth $42 million, with salaries of $27 million this year and $15 million in 2027. The Cardinals will be sending Arizona $22 million to offset this year’s salary and $9 million to offset next year’s pay.

    Arenado waived a no-trade clause to accept the deal.

    “We are grateful for Nolan’s five years as a Cardinal, on and off the field — for his drive, his competitiveness, and for all of the memories he gave us,” Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said in a statement.

    “As we continue to move forward, we are pleased to add another intriguing pitching prospect to our organization, and excited for the opportunity this move creates for a number of our players to step up and further establish themselves at the big league level,” Bloom added.

    Martinez was an eighth-round pick by the D-backs out of Arizona State in 2025.

    Arenado is a career .282 hitter and has 353 homers over 13 seasons with the Cardinals and Rockies.

  • Three lessons the Flyers need to learn from back-to-back blowout losses to the Lightning

    Three lessons the Flyers need to learn from back-to-back blowout losses to the Lightning

    Rick Tocchet often talks about lessons.

    Well, after two straight sobering losses to perennial powerhouse Tampa Bay, in which the Flyers were outscored by 12-3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, they surely learned a few tough ones.

    Here are three lessons from Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Lightning that the Flyers learned and need to carry with them as they move through a gauntlet before February’s Olympic break.

    Flyers fall again to the Lightning 5-1, extend losing streak to three games

    1. More consistency needed

    As the old saying goes, “you take it one shift at a time.” But, when you read between the lines, it’s really saying that yes, while you take it one shift at a time, you also do it by playing consistently.

    Does that mean they have to be perfect every single second? No. And the Flyers have their lapses. But, unlike Stanley Cup contenders who can get bailed out by their defense or offense, the Flyers aren’t there yet. They have great stretches, but as seen in even some of their wins, when they allow teams to creep back in, they need to be on their toes for a full 60 minutes.

    “These are the games that are important to us to see consistency-wise, hey, we need to play the right way,” defenseman Nick Seeler said. “We need to reload when it’s there. We have to help our D out. We have to block shots when it’s there.

    “We have to do the little things to be successful in this league. It’s important. I think we’ve done a good job this year and grown a lot, but it’s that consistency piece that we can continue to do better at.

    “We still believe in ourselves. These two games don’t change that. But we’ve just got to learn from a couple of games like that and be better from it, mature a bit as a group, and we’ll get on the other side of this.”

    2. Cut down on turnovers

    The record books will say the Flyers had 19 giveaways on Monday night. This comes after 14 on Saturday. In that game, at least four goals can be credited to giveaways. On Monday, Matvei Michkov turned the puck over twice in the offensive zone on one shift — although the official stats say he had just one giveaway in the game — and Trevor Zegras had the puck taken away before Jake Guentzel scored.

    It’s costing them games.

    “We’ve got some guys giving too many turnovers, especially some of our high-end guys, too many turnovers,” Tocchet said. “Because if you’re going to turn them over, if you have a chance, you’ve got to score if I want to play that type of hockey.

    Flyers right wing Travis Konecny was one of the players who was too loose with the puck on Monday night.

    “We’re giving up turnovers, but we’re not scoring. … I’m a big believer in that, that if you’re going to play risky, you better score, and our guys aren’t scoring, so you’ve got to tighten it up.”

    Across the whole season, the Flyers are one of the NHL’s best teams when it comes to limiting giveaways with the fifth fewest (639). However, across the last two games against the Lightning, they have 33 giveaways. Those 33 are the sixth-highest total in the NHL during that two-game span, with 24 teams playing twice.

    It’s a trend that needs to be quashed.

    3. Special teams need to step up

    Maybe it’s something in the water? Because no matter what — new personnel, new coaches — the Flyers’ power play is bad, and it may have come to a head Monday when they had two power plays and didn’t put a single shot on goal. In fact, they iced the puck once.

    Although the power play has been an ongoing issue since before the John Tortorella era — and it is now at 15.3%, tied with the New York Islanders for 30th in the NHL — the problem is that the once steady penalty kill is matching in futility. After going 2-for-2 with kills on Saturday, it went 2-for-4 on Monday and is just 9-for-16 (56.3%) since New Year’s Eve, which ranks 31st. Overall, it is at 79.9% and ranked 14th in the NHL.

    Flyers takeaways: Power-play struggles continue, Rick Tocchet frustrated about missed reads

    “I don’t know. It’s tough to say right after a game like this,” Sean Couturier said when asked where he sees the penalty kill now. “Obviously, it’s not good enough.”

    Special teams can make or break teams, and if the Flyers, who are precariously hanging on to third in the Metropolitan Division, want to stay there, the penalty kill and the power play need to step up.

    “Yeah, that’s something we have to improve on, no doubt about it. We had some looks on the power play, so it wasn’t all that bad, but we’ve got to bear down, and they’ve got a lethal power play themselves,” Christian Dvorak said. “And you know, it was a big part of the game for them. And, you know, made a huge difference. So we’ll have to do better.”

  • Jason Kelce defends Kevin Patullo but blasts ‘mediocre’ Eagles; Donovan McNabb points finger at A.J. Brown

    Jason Kelce defends Kevin Patullo but blasts ‘mediocre’ Eagles; Donovan McNabb points finger at A.J. Brown

    It’s been two days since the Eagles’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers and fans are demanding the firing of Kevin Patullo, calling for A.J. Brown to get traded, and looking ahead to an offseason of change — from free agency to the draft to the start of training camp.

    The Eagles season ended sooner than expected, and that means there are plenty of questions surrounding the team as eight others continue to battle in the playoffs. Here’s what they’re saying about the Birds after their early exit …

    ‘Mediocre across the board’

    Former Eagles center Jason Kelce believes the offensive coordinator isn’t the only person who should be blamed for Sunday’s loss.

    “I know that everybody is out on Kevin Patullo. I happen to know the guy, I love Kevin Patullo,” Kelce said on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. “I know he’s a great coach. I know it wasn’t the best performance this year, offensively. They had the No. 1 highest-paid offense in the league and were mediocre across the board. That’s unacceptable. They had their chances to win that game [Sunday]. The players didn’t make the plays.”

    The 49ers defense held the Eagles to 19 points in Sunday’s loss at Lincoln Financial Field. Kelce praised the San Francisco defense for its efforts in the win over the defending champs.

    “What Robert Saleh did to that defense, it’s commendable what they’ve done to get to here,” Kelce said. “It’s absolutely a testament to that organization and how well they’re built and how they function across the board. Kyle Shanahan with the trickeration, finding a way to get things open. You tip your cap to them. But Philly had their opportunities.”

    The Jalen Hurts roller coaster is about to lose Kevin Patullo. How will the next rider fare?

    Patullo ‘needs to be gone’

    Although Kelce may not be among those calling for Patullo to get fired, his coworker Marcus Spears certainly is.

    “I’m not going to teeter around it, Kevin Patullo’s [butt] needs to be gone,” Spears said on Monday Night Countdown. “This was a horrible year of calling the offensive plays. And I don’t think the Philadelphia Eagles offense is as bad as we watched it based on the talent. That’s what kept us on the string all year long.”

    ‘They’re not trying unless they’re trailing’

    Patullo has been a member of the Birds coaching staff since Nick Sirianni arrived five seasons ago, but this was his first year as the offensive coordinator after he replaced Kellen Moore, who took the head coaching position with the New Orleans Saints. After the Birds’ short postseason run, ESPN’s Get Up show posed the question: Was Kevin Patullo the Eagles’ weakest link this season?

    “The frustrating part about watching that offense, and it’s happened all year and it’s very on display in this game, is that it appears as if they’re not trying unless they’re trailing,” Domonique Foxworth said on Tuesday. “What I’m watching in the second half, it’s second-and-8, it’s second-and-10, it’s third-and-10, it’s third-and-11. And they’re running the ball and throwing swing passes. I’m not a fan of the Eagles, I’m just a fan of football. Like, come on. I imagine Eagles fans are watching this like, ‘Try something. We won a Super Bowl last year. We’ve been together all year and our answer on third-and-10 is a swing pass to Saquon Barkley?’”

    Free-agent moves? Stars moving on? Answering all of the Eagles’ biggest offseason questions

    A lot was made about the Eagles going conservative in the second half Sunday, but it’s been an issue throughout the season.

    “This is the point that we made about this team all year. And maybe they just weren’t as good as we wanted them to pretend that they were,” Foxworth continued. “But the point that we made was, the reason we wanted them to be more aggressive offensively is that there will come a game where the breaks won’t come your way and you wish that you would have extended the lead. And I’m watching this game and they’re like, ‘We’re up by one, let’s go ahead and punt.’”

    Foxworth also noted the difference between how the Eagles and Niners attacked those situations, with San Francisco being proactive while the Eagles seemed content to sit back and wait for something to happen.

    “You watch this [49ers] team, which knows they’re not that good — or knows that they don’t have that much of a margin of error — they’re like, ‘Look, we’ve got to take shots.’ And we’re watching the Eagles like, ‘Come on. Do something, do something, do something.’”

    Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had multiple costly drops in the team’s wild-card loss.

    ‘Our offense becomes dull and stale’

    Although most of the blame is being directed toward Patullo, there are some critics, including former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, who have questioned Jalen Hurts’ role in this year’s predictable offense.

    McCoy went on The Speakeasy podcast after the game and said the quarterback was holding back the offense. “We can’t do different exotic looks, different formations, different motions because I’m hearing that [Hurts] can’t really do it,” he said.

    Nick Sirianni had a worse year than Kevin Patullo, Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, or anyone on the Eagles | Marcus Hayes

    But Hurts didn’t appear to hold back the offense a year ago, and former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb defended the Super Bowl LIX MVP on 94 WIP.

    “Let me break it down for this, and I know there’s a lot of rumblings about what Jalen wants to run and what he doesn’t like,” McNabb said. “He’s deserving of that decision as the quarterback of the franchise. He’s the face of the franchise. He’s won you a Super Bowl. He’s been Super Bowl MVP. You know he’s been in this league long enough where he decides what he likes and what he doesn’t like.

    “It’s our choice as the quarterback to be able to be comfortable with what we’re calling. So we can eliminate that whole mindset that everybody on the outside is trying to create. That whole narrative.”

    Instead, to McNabb, there was one critical moment that changed the Eagles offense for the rest of the season.

    “To me, with this offense, everything shifted ever since A.J. [Brown] started talking he wasn’t getting the ball,” said McNabb, who played alongside another outspoken wide receiver in Terrell Owens. “The offense shifted and everything was kind of going to A.J., and DeVonta [Smith] being the third option. And so, that’s kind of to me where it took us away from what we were very successful with last season to what’s going on with this season. And we didn’t make that change.

    “And so we’re trying to please people now. So, our offense becomes dull and stale because we don’t move guys around.”

    Will A.J. Brown be traded? Kevin Patullo fired? Is Jalen Hurts holding Eagles back? Here’s what they’re saying.

  • The United Soccer Coaches Convention returns to Philly, with extra interest in a World Cup year

    The United Soccer Coaches Convention returns to Philly, with extra interest in a World Cup year

    Like so much of life, the year in soccer has raced out of the blocks without waiting for the starter’s gun.

    The Union’s preseason started Monday, while the English Premier League’s winter circus played at full blast. While their fellow Americans were vacationing, Medford’s Brenden Aaronson and the rest of the circuit’s U.S. players spent the holidays working not just to win games, but to earn places on the World Cup team.

    They’re at a sprinter’s pace in women’s soccer, too. Gotham FC will play in the inaugural FIFA women’s Champions Cup later this month in London and has already been in Spain for a week preparing.

    Next week, U.S. manager Emma Hayes will convene the annual January camp with 26 NWSL players, but that headline was overtaken by Sam Coffey’s impending move to Manchester City.

    Former U.S. men’s national soccer team manager Gregg Berhalter, now in charge of the Chicago Fire, speaking at last year’s coaches’ convention in Chicago.

    Amid all this, the event that’s usually American soccer’s annual curtain-raiser will take place in Philadelphia this week. From Wednesday to Saturday, the United Soccer Coaches Convention will draw thousands to the Pennsylvania Convention Center for the traditional festival of speeches, exhibits, and All-America honors.

    The association has organized conventions in almost all of its 85 years, and Philadelphia has been a frequent host. It was last here in 2023, and this will be the 11th time since 1989. That history has also been profitable for the organization, which is headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., but has many members in this part of the country.

    There’s always a little extra shine when the convention happens in a World Cup year, and this one will be no exception. Nor will it be lost on anyone that it’s in a World Cup host city.

    Cities are charging World Cup fans to attend FIFA fan festivals. Philly will not be one of them.

    On top of that, Paul Payne, who became the association’s president in April, has strong Philadelphia ties. He grew up in the region and coached soccer at Conestoga High School, the University of Scranton, then Bloomsburg for more than 20 years.

    “I think it’s a great way for us as an association to kick off, with our connection with U.S. Soccer [and] our national teams,” said Payne, who noted that he delivered The Inquirer for two years as a child. “The World Cup doesn’t start in June — to me, it’s started already. And I think you’re going to see that ramp up with a lot of the activities of U.S. Soccer, and, obviously, the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philly this year.”

    Former Union manager Jim Curtin (right) with longtime soccer broadcaster JP Dellacamera at the 2023 coaches’ convention in Philadelphia.

    Star players and coaches on stage

    As usual, the speakers will span the range of the sport. Amid the dozens of high school, college, and youth coaches, famous ex-players on stage will include Tab Ramos, John Harkes, Jozy Altidore, Jay DeMerit, and Delran’s Peter Vermes.

    Heather Mitts will share the stage with her husband, former Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley, on Friday, while her former teammates, Lori Lindsey and Heather O’Reilly, have an event on Thursday.

    Brenden Aaronson is on a hot streak with Leeds United at an ideal time for his World Cup hopes

    Lindsey also will join Carli Lloyd, Alexi Lalas, and JP Dellacamera for a Fox Sports panel on Friday previewing the network’s coverage of this summer’s World Cup.

    Guests from abroad will include former Manchester United player Nicky Butt, former England women’s manager Mark Sampson, and Portugal men’s manager Roberto Martínez. Expect Martínez to draw a big crowd — and perhaps face a few questions about playing the United States in March.

    Roberto Martínez (right) with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at Portugal’s UEFA Nations League title game win last summer.

    The Union will be well-represented, with manager Bradley Carnell, academy director Jon Scheer, reserve team head coach Ryan Richter, and goalkeeper coach Phil Wheddon scheduled to speak.

    U.S. Soccer also will have lots of dignitaries there: from president Cindy Cone to CEO JT Batson, sporting director Matt Crocker, vice president of strategy Emily Cosler, and Soccer Forward Foundation executive director Lex Chalat. A number of coaches from across national teams will hold seminars, though Mauricio Pochettino and Hayes won’t be there because of other commitments.

    How Lex Chalat rose from former Philly community newspaper editor to become an agent of change in global soccer

    “It will be great to get insight into the preparation for the World Cup,” Payne said. “The youth coaches in Ardmore, they want to know what’s going on with the big shots. It’s neat to hear. … All of a sudden, you’re connected to the highest level, and you have a personal seat there to what’s going on.”

    Saturday night will bring the annual Walt Chyzowych lifetime achievement awards, named for one of Philadelphia’s soccer legends, at the Marriott next door on Market Street. Former U.S. men’s star goalkeeper Tony Meola is this year’s honoree, and it’s always special when the event is in Chyzowych’s adopted home.

    Emma Hayes has long been a regular at the coaches’ convention, but she won’t be there this year because of the U.S. women’s team’s January camp.

    The public can attend the convention, though it has never been cheap. It’s $665 for the week this year for nonmembers, with extra outlays for some of major ceremonies. (The Chyzowych event doesn’t cost extra, but its regulars often fill the room.) Most attendees will have already registered when they arrive.

    There are day passes available from Wednesday through Saturday for $250 each. There also are tickets just for the exhibit hall, $50 for Thursday night and $75 for the day Friday or Saturday. It’s quite a scene, with vendors hawking everything from newfangled soccer balls to travel packages for youth tournaments.

    Day passes haven’t always existed for the convention, but Payne wanted them to expand the audience — particularly to youth coaches who don’t have the money to pay for the whole thing.

    “If they’re unsure what this is really about, it gives them a chance to get a glimpse of it and experience what this convention is,” he said. “And hopefully it whets their appetite, so they say next year, ‘You know, what I’m going to ask my club to fund me to go all four days,’ or ‘I’m going to ask my high school for professional development money.’”

    To kick-start a generation of city kids playing soccer, it will take more than just a place to play
  • Temple assistant men’s basketball coach Bill Courtney dies

    Temple assistant men’s basketball coach Bill Courtney dies

    Temple assistant men’s basketball coach Bill Courtney died suddenly at the age of 55, the school announced Tuesday morning.

    “I am shocked and heartbroken by the tragic news and passing of my close friend Bill Courtney,” Temple coach Adam Fisher said in a statement. “Bill made such a big impact on our program in such a short time. He was one of the most respected coaches in the country — thoughtful, prepared, and deeply committed to the game and to winning the right way. Bill made every program he touched better, and his loss is felt profoundly by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bill’s family during this extremely difficult time.”

    Mr. Courtney was in his first season with the Owls. He joined Fisher’s staff after spending six seasons in assistant and associate head coaching roles at Miami. He stepped in as Miami’s interim head coach for 19 games last season after Jim Larrañaga retired. Mr. Courtney was the head coach at Cornell from 2010 to 2016, and before that, he spent time as an assistant at Virginia Tech, Virginia, Providence, George Mason, Bowling Green, and American.

    “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Temple men’s basketball assistant coach Bill Courtney,” said Tim Pernetti, commissioner of the American Conference. “In over 30 years as a basketball coach, Courtney had a profound impact on his colleagues and student-athletes.

    “He helped lead Miami to the Final Four and programs to nine postseason tournaments, but his [effect] on the lives of the student-athletes and coaches who worked with him will be his ultimate legacy.”

    A native of Alexandria, Va., Mr. Courtney played at Bucknell University, where he was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 and remains among the program’s all-time leaders in points and assists. He graduated from Bucknell in 1992 with a degree in education.

    Temple (11-5, 3-0 American) traveled to Memphis Tuesday afternoon as scheduled, according to a source, and will play Wednesday night’s game vs. the Tigers.

    “In the short time that he has been part of the Temple family, I saw the impact that he had on our program with the joy that exuded from him on and off the court,” Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson said in a statement. “He will be missed by his immediate family, his Temple basketball family, and the greater basketball community.”

    Mr. Courtney is survived by his wife, Gina, and two sons, Billy and Derek.

    The school said information regarding memorial services will be announced later.