Eagles Fire Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo - East Idaho News
Sports

Eagles Fire Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo

  Published at

Getty S 13012 Juan%20Castillo?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1350404464024NFL via Getty Images(PHILADELPHIA) — The Juan Castillo experiment is over in Philadelphia. The Eagles have announced they have fired their embattled defensive coordinator in his second season on the job.

Castillo spent 16 seasons with the Eagles coaching staff before being hired as the defensive coordinator. The problem was that he served as the team’s offensive assistant, tight ends coach, and offensive line coach during that span. He hadn’t coached defense since he was a high school coach in the 1980s.

Under Castillo, the team’s defense struggled mightily for most of last season, but began coming together at season’s end. Despite the late-season production, the team’s defensive struggles were evident again in key situations during the fist six games of the 2012 season. The Eagles’ defense blew seven fourth quarter leads since Castillo was the defensive coordinator.

“I want to make it clear that I have nothing but the ultimate respect for Juan Castillo as a coach and as a person. He’s one of the finest football coaches that I have ever worked with. He has served this organization extremely well for 18 years for letting him go was a difficult decision.”

Replacing Castillo will be Todd Bowles. Bowles is in his first year as the Eagles secondary coach. Before joining the Eagles, Bowles was a member of the Miami Dolpins coaching staff.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION