Philadelphia Eagles Name Sean McDermott Defensive Coordinator

In May, the Eagles announced that Sean McDermott would be the team's interim defensive coordinator, replacing Jim Johnson indefinitely while he received cancer treatments. Friday, the organization named McDermott to the full-time gig.

Johnson continues to battle cancer, and as NFL Network's Jason La Canfora writes, "If there is ever a Coordinators Wing in the Hall of Fame (and frankly there probably should be), then of this modern era of defensive coaches, Johnson and Dick LeBeau should be first-ballot entrants."

Johnson, 68, molded the Eagles into one of the league's best defenses during his 10 years in Philly, and in a 2005 interview with the Boston Globe he explained his blitz-happy philosophy.

"It was around 1994 or '95, when I was with the Colts, and we were playing against San Francisco with Steve Young running the West Coast offense, releasing receivers all the time, guys getting by you. The idea was don't let these people dictate to you. You have to put more pressure [on the quarterback], and every year we tried to figure out how to do that."

The results: a pressure-heavy scheme that confused the offensive line and forced the quarterback into mistakes. And even though the personnel will remain the same, former Eagles defensive back Troy Vincent expects things will be different. (Via The 700 Level):

"It's the same thing in Tampa Bay now that Monte Kiffin is gone. If you don't think him leaving changes the way people feel about that defense, then you're fooling yourself. You're talking about the two people who have been the most consistent defensive coordinators over the last decade. As an offensive coordinator, you have to think, 'Let me see what McDermott is going to do. I know he comes from the same system, but let's see if he's going to call the same game.' "

McDermott had the benefit of working for Johnson as the secondary and linebackers coach, and he has the full confidence of head coach Andy Reid. And as La Canfora points out, McDermott's the next up-and-comer in a long line of them under Johnson. Steve Spagnuolo went from Eagles linebackers coach to the defensive coordinator when the Giants upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl (and he's now the head coach of the Rams). And John Harbaugh won the Ravens head coaching job (and took them to the AFC Championship game in his first season) after serving as Philly's defensive backs coach.

For now, McDermott, who played collegiately with Mike Tomlin at William and Mary, probably isn't worried about anything other than getting the Eagles' defense ready for the 2009 season.