Is Scot Loeffler the Answer to the Eagles Offensive Woes?
An exploration of the current Philadelphia Eagles QB Coach and whether or not he could take the reins from Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator
There’s a chill in the air. That cold you feel brushing across your face as you leave our house is none other than the Philadelphia Eagles offense. The same offense with the power to split open the skies and rain boos down onto Lincoln Financial Field. An offense that’s allergic to moving the ball consistently and currently ranks 28th in success rate, their worst in 20 years, according to The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia.
The pitchforks are out. The torches are lit. Kevin Patullo has been sent to The Hague for his crimes against offensive football. Nick Sirianni, who Hard Knocks revealed has a nameplate on his desk that reads “Do Epic Shit,” is in fact not doing “epic shit.”
The last month of Eagles’ offensive football is an A24 horror movie. It’s like sitting through a viewing of Midsommar. This team is in peak crash out. The Bears game was a cry for help. Philadelphia fans are frustrated and grasping for answers. Somewhere in Delco, a father of three is stepping away from work to call Sports Radio WIP and say, “First time listener, long time caller. Have we considered playing Big Dom at right tackle?” Fan-proposed solutions have ranged from the absurd (benching Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts for backup quarterback Tanner McKee) to the more reasonable (Nick Foles saying that Patullo should try calling plays from the box instead of the sideline).
Despite Nick Sirianni insisting that the Eagles will not revoke Kevin Patullo’s playcalling card, some fans have insisted that one potential suitor should take the reins as offensive coordinator and lead this team to the promised land. That suitor is none other than Eagles quarterbacks coach and a guy you probably know nothing about, Scot Loeffler. (“Loeffler? Hardly know her!”). You’ve probably seen Loeffler yelling at Hurts on the sideline (in an encouraging way!) and plopping next to the Super Bowl MVP quarterback on the bench with iPad in hand.
When Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore left to take the Saints head coaching gig in the offseason, he took quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier with him to be his offensive coordinator. The vacant quarterback coach spot was filled by Loeffler, who joined the team after being the head coach at Bowling Green State University for six seasons (where my Ohio heads at). Side note: Jalen Hurts is on his third quarterback coach in three years which is crazy!
Loeffler’s extensive experience in the college game earned him a reputation as a QB guru. He started his coaching career with one of his most notable clients, a young Michigan quarterback named Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr., who was just starting to discover his powers.
The QB coach to offensive coordinator jump has been made by four current offensive coordinators: Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, and most recently Raiders’ new offensive coordinator Greg Olsen, who took the role after the very timely demise of Chip Kelly. Only Joe Brady and Greg Olsen were elevated to those roles after the prior playcaller was fired midseason (sorry for the stray Ken Dorsey).
When Loeffler was hired, some Eagles fans wondered if it was an insurance plan in case the Kevin Patullo promotion didn’t work out. Welp, I have to say that thus far it’s not working out. So is Loeffler the next QB coach to make a move? Is Scot Loeffler the playmaker who was promised?
Who is Scot Loeffler?
The 51-year-old Ohio Native joined the Eagles after spending six seasons as the head coach of Bowling Green State University. Loeffler went 27-41 in six seasons at BGSU, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story. He took a football team that went 9-27 in the three years before his arrival and made them relevant
“Loeffler inherited a very bad Bowling Green program in 2019 and in a matter of three seasons turned them into a bowl eligible team for three straight seasons, as well as being in MAC championship contention come November,” says Sean Patrick Connelly, who covers Bowling Green’s football team for BG Falcon Media. “He put his heart and soul into this program for six seasons and the results showed by the time he departed. So, the way he left the program was in way better shape than when he picked up the keys.”
Those Bowling Green teams were defined by steady improvement, going from 4-8 in 2021 to 7-6 in 2023 and 2024. He led Bowling Green to a 16-10 MAC record and took the team to back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 2014. In 2023, Loeffler’s Bowling Green team led the nation in takeaways and at a high point in the season they forced four turnovers in a loss against eventual champion Michigan (including 3 picks against J.J. McCarthy, which we all should’ve seen as a red flag).
Player development has always been Loeffler’s calling card. His crown jewel at Bowling Green was the development of tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (current Cleveland Browns rookie sensation and the only man keeping my fantasy football team relevant). Fannin became the first All-American in school history. “In my eyes, despite his losing record as a head coach, his time at BG should be looked at by taking a bottom 3 FBS program and turning them into a good MAC team,” said Connelly.
The Journey of a QB Guru
Scot Loeffler’s journey into coaching started inside the huddle. At Michigan he played quarterback for legendary college coach Lloyd Carr from 1993-1996 before shoulder injuries prematurely ended his career. Noticing his coaching potential, Carr and Michigan defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann encouraged Loeffler to stay on as a student assistant and eventual graduate assistant to work with the team’s quarterbacks. Those quarterbacks happened to be future Super Bowl winner Brian Griese and soon-to-be greatest quarterback of all-time Tom Brady.
“The reason Tom and Brian got to where they were was because of Scot,” Herrmann told NJ.com this past September. “It was like a perfect storm in terms of a young coach and young players wanting to get better. It was the mechanics of the arm placement and the mechanics of the throw. It was just Scot just breaking it down into increments. “
Through the years, Loeffler earned a reputation as a quarterback whisperer in the college ranks, working under college coaching legends like Carr, Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer, and (I can’t believe I’m saying this) Florida’s Urban Meyer. He coached Michigan quarterback Chad Henne in 2004, helping Henne become the first freshman quarterback to lead his team to a Big 10 title. He joined Urban Meyer’s staff at the University of Florida in 2009 as quarterbacks coach for Tim Tebow, leading Tebow to his most efficient season as a passer by completion percentage for the #3 ranked team in the country. In the waning days of the Frank Beamer era at Virginia Tech, Beamer brought in Loeffler as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Loeffler guided quarterback Logan Thomas to break school records for passing yards and touchdowns (which, if you’ve seen Logan Thomas play quarterback, is pretty amazing).
“Talk to any quarterback Scot’s ever coached, they’ll all say the same thing: His meetings are unbelievable. You’re gonna learn the game and he makes it fun,” Lloyd Carr told Pennlive in 2011. “His expectations are high. But they’re not unrealistic.”
Experience as an Offensive Coordinator
Loeffler’s tutelage of quarterbacks earned him multiple opportunities as an offensive coordinator with mixed results. His offenses showcased Loeffler’s ability to make the most out of the talent at his disposal.
He got his first shot to take the reins when Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio took the head coaching role at Temple University (Philly represent!) and brought Loeffler with him as his new offensive coordinator. Despite a talent deficit, in 2011, Loeffler led a potent Temple Owl offense to the 7th-best rushing average in the nation and the 33rd-best passing efficiency, while delivering Temple’s first bowl win since 1979.
“He’s very keen on discipline and staying on plan. Take what the defense gives,” then Temple QB Mike Gerardi told Pennlive in 2011.
In 2012, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik brought Loeffler onto his staff for what would be a disastrous season for the Tigers. Auburn went 3-9 before firing Chizik that offseason. From there, Loeffler joined Frank Beamer’s staff at Virginia Tech as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Loeffler led a Virginia Tech offense that underperformed but steadily improved throughout his tenure. They leapt from the 100th-ranked team offense in 2013 to the 53rd in 2015. His most notable game at Virginia Tech was a win over eventual national champion Ohio State in 2014, dealing the Buckeyes their only loss of the season.
In 2016, Loeffler was hired as the offensive coordinator at Boston College, where he helped lead the team to their first bowl game in 9 years. In 2018, he built Boston College into the 12th-best rushing offense in the nation behind running back sensation (and current Eagles backup running back) A.J. Dillon in his career college year.
NFL Opportunities
Before joining the Philadelphia Eagles as quarterbacks coach this past offseason, Scot Loeffler had only one prior coaching experience in the NFL: as quarterbacks coach for the 2008 Detroit Lions. The 2008 Detroit Lions are infamous for going 0-16, meaning they literally lost every single game. Loeffler coached a quarterback gumbo of Daunte Culpepper, Jon Kitna, and current NFL analyst/guy who ran out of the back of his own endzone Dan Orlovsky. Let’s also take a moment of silence for everything Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson had to go through. Anyway, after that season, head coach Rod Marinelli’s staff was obliterated, and Loeffler didn’t take another opportunity in the NFL until now.
Loeffler is an old-school coach. In a highlight of Loeffler by Brooks Kubena of The Athletic, Nick Sirianni describes him as “relentless.” Kevin Patullo calls him a wealth of knowledge. But the most positive review came from Loeffler’s new quarterback, and a man who’s not quick to give praise, Jalen Hurts.
“I’ve learned so much,” Hurts told NJ.com this offseason. “Fundamentally. Even in some regards, my overall … not temperament, but I guess my approach. I think he’s had a great influence on that in such a short time. Just the details from a fundamental standpoint. Where to set my eyes and how to approach certain things, how to attack it. ... He’s allotted me some new perspective that I take in and (will) carry throughout this year and hopefully throughout my career.”
Loeffler is known for his attention to detail, his ability to teach clearly, and his immense passion. He has so much passion that during his tenure as head coach of Bowling Green, he was the first coach to get ejected after two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after yelling at the refs in a game against University of Buffalo. For an Eagles team in need of some juice, a little passion could go a long way.
Is Loeffler the Hero the Eagles Need?
Scot Loeffler has a decorated career in the college game, guiding many a quarterback to career years with an attention to detail and ability to teach that helps them take advantage of their strengths and master the fundamentals of the game. His college offenses have been up and down, but always show signs of efficiency, creativity, and steady improvement. Despite all of that, there’s not a ton of evidence to judge how he would be as an NFL playcaller. When it comes to offensive gameplanning, his peers call him curious and obsessive. “We have to have continency plays,” Steve Addazio recalled Loeffler saying as told to The Athletic. You can see Loeffler’s focus on efficiency in the way Jalen Hurts plays this year, as Loeffler has helped Hurts have the fewest interceptions of his career. Unfortunately for Jalen, that’s also led to his second-lowest success rate. But it’s hard to tell whether that’s due to Hurts’ play or the failings of the offensive system.
At Bowling Green, Boston College and Temple, Loeffler ran run-oriented offenses that had built-in passing concepts to stress the defense. Throughout his tenure at Bowling Green, they shifted to a more pass-heavy attack. “Bowling Green offenses relied on the pass game, especially in his later seasons,” said Connelly of BG Falcon Media. “He ran a spread offense that favored the pass, which included Harold Fannin Jr. to be one of the nation’s top tight ends by the end of the 2024.”
Loeffler’s career reminds me a little bit of another offensive guru who rose from the college ranks to transform an NFL offense: Todd Monken. Monken made the leap from National Champion Georgia in 2022 to coordinate a Ravens offense led by Lamar Jackson that quickly became the best in the league. But unlike Loeffler, Monken had both extensive experience in the college game and prior experience as a playcaller in the NFL. He served as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers in 2016 and the Browns in 2019.
Though they’ve become more similar throughout the years, the NFL and college games are different. And Loeffler is unproven. It’s hard to tell how much he contributes to the current offensive struggles and if he has the experience necessary to fix this unit.
But he is lauded as a creative play-caller who’s experience with run-oriented attacks could help a Saquon Barkley-led rushing attack that’s stuck in the mud. His deep knowledge of the spread could work wonders for Jalen Hurts, who thrives out of the formation. Even though it’s at the college level, the main contrast between Loeffler and current offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is that Loeffler has experience calling plays. If the Eagles decide to move on from Patullo, kicking the tires on Loeffler could be their best option at this juncture to keep consistency and add a little juice to the offense. It would be something new, a change this team may require, but a risk nonetheless. It’s hard to say whether or not Loeffler is the answer.
“I think he could bring a lot of experience into the NFL as a play-caller,” said Connelly. “He tends to be a very creative offensive mind, he used Harold Fannin Jr. a year ago, in just about every offensive position you can think of. So, his ability to really put a scheme around one player can definitely be a help for the Eagles. So, if a move is made for Loeffler to become the offensive play caller, I think that he would be more than ready given his experience since his last time coaching in the NFL.”