7:19 PM ET
Tim McManusESPN Staff Writer
INDIANAPOLIS -- With clip moving down successful the Eagles' 17-16 win implicit the Colts connected Sunday, Philadelphia manager Nick Sirianni ripped disconnected his visor, stood connected the visitors seat astatine Lucas Oil Stadium and yelled into the crowd.
He worked to cod himself arsenic helium walked done the tunnel, but erstwhile helium hugged Eagles wide manager Howie Roseman astatine the locker country entrance, helium welled up, wiping tears from his eyes arsenic helium went to code the team.
At the podium a abbreviated clip later, helium again grew emotional, explaining that the Colts' caller firing of Frank Reich arsenic manager was astatine the basal of it.
"I'm affectional due to the fact that I emotion Frank Reich. I truly do," said Sirianni, who served arsenic Reich's violative coordinator successful Indianapolis from 2018 to 2020. "He's 1 of the champion damn shot coaches I've ever been around. I was hoping that helium and I would beryllium capable to manager against each different this game. He is 1 of my biggest mentors.
"You don't privation to cognize what I deliberation of if helium should beryllium present oregon not, but you guys tin astir apt ideate what I truly think. ... It was saccharine to travel here, particularly with what happened with this enactment the past mates weeks, and get the win. The win. We're leaving Indianapolis with a win!"
Reich was fired by the Colts connected Nov. 7 aft a 3-5-1 commencement to the season. He was replaced by erstwhile Colts halfway Jeff Saturday, present 1-1 arsenic interim caput coach. The Eagles moved to 9-1 connected the play with the win.
Sirianni's apprenticeship nether Reich dates backmost to erstwhile helium was an adjunct manager for the Chargers from 2013 to 2015, erstwhile Reich was connected the unit arsenic quarterbacks manager and past violative coordinator. Reich named Sirianni violative coordinator erstwhile helium got the Colts head-coaching gig successful 2018.
"I deliberation this W was astir apt for Frank," said erstwhile Colts and existent Eagles wide receiver Zach Pascal. "It was a bittersweet time to spot him get fired. ... It was a bittersweet time for me. But I'm gladsome we came retired with that dub today."
Philadelphia borderline rusher Haason Reddick described Sirianni arsenic "very emotional" during his postgame code to the team.
"I'm conscionable blessed we were capable to travel together, fight, get ourselves backmost successful the crippled and triumph it for him," Reddick said. "As a feline who played connected antithetic teams, I cognize however overmuch it means to bushed and get a W implicit a squad that you either played for oregon coached for."
Sirianni endured a unsmooth commencement arsenic Eagles manager successful 2021, getting disconnected to a 2-5 grounds portion helium recovered his footing arsenic the organization's pb man. The Eagles rallied to marque the playoffs past season, however, and they person the champion grounds successful the NFL this year.
He credits 3 radical for being his superior mentors: his father; Larry Kehres, his manager astatine Mount Union College; and Reich.
Knowing however overmuch this crippled meant to him, the players presented Sirianni with the crippled shot successful the locker room.
"He came present and changed the civilization for us, and we're retired present winning similar crazy," Philadelphia moving backmost Miles Sanders said of Sirianni. "We've got a bully chemistry present due to the fact that of him. I've got a batch of respect for Coach. I don't cognize if helium knows that, but I anticipation helium hears it."
English (US)