Nick Sirianni has the highest winning percentage among active NFL coaches and the fifth-best in NFL history.
He should be lauded for his accomplishments with the Philadelphia Eagles. Coaches who win as frequently as Sirianni are esteemed.
The four coaches ahead of him on the overall list — Guy Chamberlin, John Madden, Vince Lombardi and George Allen — are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But Sirianni’s reputation doesn’t match up to his .697 winning percentage. He’s more often ridiculed for his sideline antics than praised for his coaching success.
Many of the critics include former players and coaches now working in the media. The criticism is sometimes over the top and unfair.
ESPN analyst Damien Woody, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, called Sirianni a clown in October for yelling and gesturing at Eagles fans toward the end of a close victory over Cleveland. Sirianni heard “Fire Nick!” chants during that game and reacted emotionally.
Still, he apologized a day later.
“I’m sorry and disappointed about how my energy was directed at the end of the game,” he said. “My energy should be all in on coaching, motivating, and celebrating with our guys. And so, I’ve got to have better wisdom and discernment of when to use that energy, and that wasn’t the time.”
After the Eagles beat Kansas City on the road in a Monday night game last year, Sirianni mocked Chiefs fans as he walked off the field.
Some viewed it as a passionate response to a hard-fought victory against the team that beat Philadelphia 38-35 in the Super Bowl nine months earlier.
Others considered it childish behavior.
Sirianni’s latest incident isn’t debatable. He exchanged words with former Eagles three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz after Washington’s comeback win against Philadelphia.
Videos show Ertz gave Sirianni a high-five as they were headed in opposite directions. Sirianni turned to say something to Ertz, who then turned around and walked back toward his former coach.
Reports said Sirianni mocked Ertz for having little impact on the game — he had one catch — after taking exception to the hard hand slap. The two cleared the air this week after Sirianni called Ertz to apologize. Ertz downplayed the exchange on Thursday, saying he has a great relationship with Sirianni and “no ill feelings.”
Ertz caught the go-ahead touchdown pass from Nick Foles when the Eagles beat New England in the Super Bowl. He’s beloved in Philadelphia for his performance on the field during eight-plus seasons with the team and his impact in the community.
Sirianni didn’t endear himself to anyone with this unnecessary spat.
“Sirianni has the vibe of a fan who won a contest to be the team’s head coach for a day,” ProFootballTalk.com posted on X.
Sirianni’s chest-bumping, sideline-prancing, expletive-tossing personality has irked opponents and their fans since the Eagles hired him in 2021. He’s incurred the wrath of the fickle Philly fans plenty of times over the years.
But players respond well to him — outside of last season’s collapse — and he wins (46-20). He’s approachable, engaging and likable to most who aren’t annoyed by his trash-talking. Yet, his success as a coach is often overshadowed by self-inflicted distractions.
It’s on Sirianni to avoid creating more of those.
___
On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
