Nick Foles is heading to the Pro Bowl. Chip Kelly is taking a lot of the credit. Bill Lazor is—perhaps soon to be was—the man behind the scenes
As an assistant, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach largely flew under the radar while Foles was becoming the highest-rated passer in the NFL. It sounds like folks around the league took notice of Lazor’s work though, as he’ll reportedly be hired as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions after one season on Chip’s staff.
Ed Werder broke the story on ESPN on Tuesday afternoon. The news comes within hours after the Lions are said to have settled on Jim Caldwell as their next head coach, though as Les Bowen points out, the team has not confirmed.
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Been a few names mentioned but according to @Edwerderespn Bill Lazor, Eagles qb coach, will be Lions Offensive Coordinator.
— Dan Miller (@DanMillerFox2) January 14, 2014
Confirming this Lazor news--not that I'd ever doubt @Edwerderespn--is gonna be a challenge, in that Lions still haven't announced Caldwell — Les Bowen (@LesBowen) January 14, 2014
Lazor was one of the few assistants on Kelly’s staff who had pro experience prior to this season, having served in various assistant roles in Buffalo, Washington and Seattle. Most recently, he had been the offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia for three seasons.
It’s a shame if the Eagles are going to lose him, as he was no doubt influential in Foles’ breakout season. You can only hope a change doesn’t stunt the 25-year-old’s development at all in year three, though I suspect he’ll be fine.
News
Re: Ed Werder report that Bill Lazor will be Lions OC. All I know is as of now, he's still Eagles QBs coach. Tomorrow? Who knows.
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherCSN) January 14, 2014