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First Posted: 1/10/2013
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles interviewed Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly for their coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the meeting told The Associated Press.
Kelly was the third college coach Philadelphia interviewed since firing Andy Reid on Dec. 31. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release the information, said the Eagles met with Kelly on Tuesday.
Penn State’s Bill O’Brien and Oregon’s Chip Kelly interviewed with the Eagles last week, but chose to stay at their schools.
The Eagles have interviewed six candidates and plan to meet with four others.
Kelly recently called coaching Notre Dame his dream job, but he wouldn’t be the first to explore his options perhaps even to get a raise to stay put.
General manager Howie Roseman said Wednesday the team isn’t in a rush to replace Reid.
Roseman, owner Jeffrey Lurie and president Don Smolenski also plan to meet with former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith on Thursday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have hired New York Giants senior pro personnel analyst David Gettleman as their new general manager.
The team announced the decision Wednesday afternoon after interviewing Gettleman earlier in the day.
A person familiar with the situation says the Panthers also interviewed Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson on Wednesday. The person said the Panthers Tuesday interviewed Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross and Montreal Alouettes general manager Jim Popp for the position. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the Panthers have not announced who they interviewed for the position.
Gettleman replaces longtime Panthers GM Marty Hurney, who was fired six games into the season.
Carolina finished the season 7-9.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Associated Press has learned that Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians remains hospitalized as doctors try to determine the extent of a health problem that kept him from coaching this past weekend
Doctors are still trying to diagnose exactly what is wrong with Arians, who was expected to spend a fourth consecutive night in a hospital Wednesday. A person familiar with the situation spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because details have not been made public by the team.
The person said that Arians, a 60-year-old prostate cancer survivor, has been complaining of dizziness and migraine headaches, conditions doctors believe is related to an inner-ear infection. Arians is considered one of this season’s top coaching candidates after leading the Colts to a playoff berth as interim coach.
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Chargers have hired Tom Telesco from the Indianapolis Colts to replace fired general manager A.J. Smith.
Telesco is to be introduced at an afternoon news conference.
Telesco has been vice president of football operations for the Colts.
His first task with the Chargers will be to help select a new coach to replace Norv Turner, who was fired along with Smith on Dec. 31 after the Chargers missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
Telesco beat out Jimmy Raye, the Chargers’ director of player personnel.
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has signed a five-year contract extension that will run through the 2017 season.
The team Wednesday announced the extension but did not release details. Payton had agreed to the deal in principle on Dec. 29.
Saints General manager Mickey Loomis says getting Payton signed to a long-term deal was very important to our organization.
Payton has guided the most successful period in the franchise’s history, leading the Saints to three NFC South division titles and four postseason appearances. Two of his teams advanced to the NFC Championship and the 2009 squad won Super Bowl XLIV.
Payton, who was suspended for the entire 2012 season in connection with the NFL’s bounty investigation, can return to work Feb. 4, the day after the Super Bowl.