The Philadelphia Eagles, still searching for a new head coach to replace the recently fired Andy Reid, reached out To Jackie Harbaugh to inquire if the 73 year-old mother of the 49ers’ Jim Harbaugh and the Ravens’ John Harbaugh might have any more sons somewhere that would be interested in an NFL head coaching position, it was reported Tuesday.
“This very nice man from the Eagles called me this morning, right after my morning tea,” said Harbaugh from her home in Mequon, WI. “He seemed very impressed with the work that Johnny and Jimmy have done with their teams, and asked if I had any more sons somewhere that I hadn’t mentioned before. He sounded so heartbroken when I explained to him that no, I had no more boys for him to interview.”
Thus far in their search for a new leader, the Eagles front office has been spurned by Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, Penn State’s Bill O’Brian, and Oregon’s Chip Kelly. Siblings Jim and John Harbaugh, meanwhile, have the 49ers and Ravens in their respective conference championship games this weekend.
“The gentleman’s voice had a sort of desperate quality to it,” Harbaugh continued. “He mentioned that that they were having trouble finding anyone to take this job opening that I guess they have. The poor dear said something to the effect of, ‘being reduced to interviewing Brian Billick,’ then broke down crying. I felt just awful for him.”
While the Eagles’ search for their 21st head coach has been a frustrating one for the team as well as its fans, recent signs for optimism have surfaced.
“He seemed to perk up a bit when I mentioned that my daughter Joani was married to (Indiana basketball coach) Tom Crean, and said ‘close enough.’ Apparently, she has an interview scheduled for Thursday. That’s nice to hear. I hope it works out for them.
