Eagles Hire Sean Desai As Their Defensive Coordinator
Photo: Twitter
India-West Staff Reporter
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Sean Desai has been named the next defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, the team announced. He will replace Jonathan Gannon, who was hired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals two days after the Eagles’ lost 38-35 in the recent Super Bowl.
“His overall knowledge of football and football IQ is extremely high,” Head Coach Nick Sirianni said of Desai. “Great detail. He’s a really sharp coach. I’m excited that he’s on our staff.”
Desai served as the Seattle Seahawks’ associate head coach-defense in 2022. The Seahawks reached the playoffs as a Wild Card despite finishing second in the league in both snaps and games started by rookies.
Sirianni added that while the addition of Desai presents a mystery for opposing offenses to prepare for this upcoming season, he liked some of the similarities to what the team has done that have been successful.
2023 will be Desai’s 11th season as a coach in the NFL. He started his coaching career at Temple (2007-10), where he was a graduate assistant for the defense and special teams while earning his doctorate in educational administration.
He entered the NFL ranks in 2013 as the quality control coach-defense for the Bears, working with the defensive backs/linebackers/special teams. Desai was named Bears’ safeties coach in 2019 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2021.
As the son of immigrants, Desai was the first Indian American coordinator in NFL history.
Desai was the assistant director of football operations at the University of Miami in 2011 after spending five seasons at Temple University where he also served as an adjunct professor, teaching in the master’s and doctoral programs in education administration.
He earned the nickname “Doc,” because of his doctorate in educational administration, with an emphasis on higher education.
Desai has his undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science, with a minor in biology, from Boston University and a master’s degree in higher and postsecondary education from Columbia University.
