Curtis Marsh had been following the Eagles' coaching search the last two weeks, checking for the latest updates on the interview process. That's why the Eagles cornerback was surprised when he learned Wednesday that Oregon coach Chip Kelly would be his next coach.
Surprised, and excited.
"I thought he was going back, like the reports said," Marsh said. "But when I heard the reports come out [Wednesday] morning, I was excited."
That's a sentiment echoed by a number of players.
Tight end Brent Celek said it's "obvious by [Kelly's] track record in college how good he was."
Defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins praised Kelly's success in college.
Wide receiver Damaris Johnson said in an interview that he likes Kelly's emphasis on speed.
Wide receiver DeSean Jackson, safety Kurt Coleman, and defensive end Brandon Graham all sent supportive messages on Twitter. Casey Matthews is the only Eagle who played for Kelly, but other players have followed Kelly's success at Oregon.
"He's a brilliant mind," center Jason Kelce said. "We have a lot of weapons on the Eagles that kind of assimilates to what he was doing at Oregon."
Kelly's former players around the NFL also lauded the coach. Ravens tight end Ed Dickson called Kelly a "mastermind."
San Francisco running back LaMichael James insisted that the Oregon offense could work in the NFL.
"You see everybody doing it now. You even see us using it," James said. "You see the Redskins using it. It's starting to form more toward that offense. Anytime you have a dual-threat quarterback, it puts pressure on the defense that they can do numerous things throwing or running the ball."
Michael Lombardi, an NFL Network analyst and former personnel executive, said criticism of Kelly's offense discounts Kelly's personality.
"Chip Kelly's very smart, he's very analytical, and he'll adapt to the pro game, and his talents as a leader will take over as a head coach," Lombardi said. "I like people that think outside the box. I like people that think differently."
The hire was not universally praised, and there were comments from analysts and fans who questioned the move. Time will tell, and the players have not yet had the chance to meet with Kelly. It's ultimately the success of those players that will determine whether Wednesday's positivity remains at the end of the season.
"This guy's a stud," said ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. "He's the first guy to take credit when things go wrong, and I really believe he's going to be a dominant coach for a long time."
Contact Zach Berman at zberman@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @ZBerm.
