Getty Head coach Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Dallas Cowboys Week 16.
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to expand their coaching staff by one with an unexpected hire if reports are true. Tyler Yelk will be leaving his post as safeties coach at Idaho and taking on the role of “assistant to the head coach” under Nick Sirianni, per John Bice of Football Scoop.
The move sounds like a bit of a head-scratcher until you dig a little deeper into Yelk’s bio. A native of Wisconsin, he served as a defensive analyst at Temple University in 2019 before coaching the Owls safeties in 2020 and 2021. He has climbed the ladder at various colleges nationwide, including stops at South Dakota, Western Illinois, and Minnesota-Duluth where he won a national championship as a player and coach. He was an All-American defensive back at his alma mater.
Vandal Nation, thank you! #VsUp
Okay, that’s enough background. What in the heck will Yelk be doing for Sirianni?
Well, since the coaching hire hasn’t been officially announced or confirmed, nothing is known for sure. The best guess is that Yelk is coming on board to replace Scott Kaniecki who is currently listed as “administrative assistant to the head coach.” Or maybe the Eagles are creating an entirely new role for him, one that could potentially put Yelk in charge of the defensive backs. That job remains vacant after Dennard Wilson bolted for the Baltimore Ravens.
Sources: Philadelphia Eagles hiring assistant to head coach from college football program t.co/WqdJDSY4K0 via @JohnDBrice1
Sirianni Comments on Dennard Wilson Situation
There had been some debate about whether Wilson and the Eagles parted ways mutually or if it was an ugly divorce. Remember, Wilson was passed over for the open defensive coordinator job in Philly for outside candidate Sean Desai.
The Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes reported that Sirianni fired Wilson after an “acrimonious meeting.” Sirianni commented on the situation the other day at the NFL Annual Meeting in Arizona.
“At the end of the day, we both obviously mutually parted ways. Dennard is in a good situation,” Sirianni told reporters on March 28. “It isn’t that anything happened. We obviously loved our time with him. The players feel very strongly about Dennard (and) how good of a football coach he is. I feel (strongly) about how good of a football coach he is. It was just best, in that way, that we both parted ways there in that situation, but (we) wish him nothing but the best.”
Nick Sirianni fired popular DB coach Dennard Wilson on Saturday, sources say, after a meeting where Wilson pledged loyalty after Sirianni snubbed Wilson in his DC search. #Eagles have lost 3 def. assistants from the No. 2 defense: DC Gannon, LB Rallis, & Wilson, who was the best.
Wilson’s old role as defensive backs coach hasn’t yet been filled. Taver Johnson – defensive pass-game coordinator and safeties coach at Eastern Michigan – has been rumored to be in the mix (via Matt Zenitz) for the job. Ditto for DK McDonald, the Eagles’ assistant defensive backs coach since 2021.
Eagles Agree to Terms with Kentavius Street
The Eagles officially announced the signing of defensive tackle Kentavius Street on March 30. It’s a one-year contract, but terms weren’t immediately disclosed. The 6-foot-2, 287-pounder comes over from New Orleans where he registered 3.5 sacks and 29 tackles (5 for loss) in 2022.
Street, a fourth-round pick in 2019, was a good situational player last season for the Saints and possesses a quick first step, plus good strength and leverage. He is the definition of low-risk, high-reward.
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Nick Sirianni Makes Surprise Move, Plugs Eagles Roster Hole: Report