Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Search: Brian Billick, Lovie Smith, Ken Whisenhunt, Gus Bradley, Jay Gruden Leading Candidates For Job

Team owner Jeffrey Lurie and his organization have brought in a huge number of candidates, and clearly have taken their time looking for a replacement for Andy Reid.

Reid spent 14 years in Philadelphia, and Lurie may be looking for a coach that could stick around just as long. Still the Eagles may have to make a decision shortly if they want their pick of the litter rather than the best available option.

The Eagles have kept many of their candidates for long interviews. Most recently Philadelphia sat down with Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley for more than seven hours on Tuesday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. But Bradley reportedly left town without the job and headed down to Jacksonville to meet with Jaguars officials.

Former Baltimore Ravens and Super Bowl winning coach Brian Billick met with Philadelphia last week, and at the time, rumors pegged him as the leading candidate. Billick hasn’t been linked to any other jobs, but his work in Baltimore, particularly on the defensive end might intrigue the Eagles.

Another talented defensive mind, Lovie Smith, still hasn’t found a home after the Chicago Bears let him go, but he did interview with at least three teams, including Philadelphia.

Should the Eagles focus their attention on offense, former Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt could be an excellent choice. Whisenhunt is the only coach to lead Arizona to a Super Bowl, and won a title with Pittsburgh in 2005 as the offensive coordinator.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is the only other top assistant that is reportedly still in the running. Gruden helped turn Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton into one of the league’s better starters in just two seasons, and could do the same with Eagles young quarterback Nick Foles, especially if Philadelphia lets Michael Vick go.