Eagles coordinator worth every penny

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Eagles coach Andy Reid, above, is pleased the team signed defensive coordinator Jimmy Johnson to a four-year, $4 million deal. They will coach in the Pro Bowl. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser When: 12:30 p.m. Feb. 2 Where: Aloha Stadium Practices: At Aloha Stadium. Tuesday—AFC, 10 a.m. Wednesday—NFC, 9 a.m. Thursday—AFC, 10 a.m. Friday—NFC, 10 a.m., Saturday—NFC, 9 a.m.; AFC, 10 a.m. (Note: Practices at Ko Olina closed to the public.)

Eagles head coach Andy Reid, in town as NFC coach in next Sunday's NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium, said it was important for Philadelphia to secure Johnson, whom the San Francisco 49ers hoped to interview for their head coaching vacancy with the firing of Steve Mariucci.

"We've had a very successful defense the last few years," Reid said.

Johnson, whose overall defense ranked fourth (297.1 yards per game) in the NFL and second in points allowed (15.1), signed a four-year deal worth more than $4 million, making him the highest-paid coordinator in the league, surpassing Tampa Bay's Monte Kiffin's deal that pays close to $1 million per year, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Of course, the signing needed cooperation from the guy footing the bill.

"Obviously, it starts with your owner," said Reid, also the executive vice president of football operations for Philadelphia. "(Eagles owner) Jeff Lurie, he was right there with me. He wanted to make sure that we kept him there. We made him a very nice package that would take care of him financially."

Johnson was scheduled to meet with the 49ers Thursday, but the Eagles made a counteroffer on Wednesday. Reid said Johnson would have made an excellent head coach.

"He would do a good job," Reid said. "If I didn't think he would do a good job, I wouldn't have tried to block the move there. He would be very good."

So instead of heading to San Francisco, Johnson is on his way here to join Reid and the rest of the Eagles staff for the Pro Bowl. Coaching in the Pro Bowl is actually an ironic twist because that distinction goes to the coaches of the teams that lost in the conference championships. Reid, obviously, would rather be in San Diego preparing for tomorrow's Super Bowl against the Oakland Raiders. He already has a Super Bowl title ring when he was on the Green Bay Packers in 1997.

"This is my third Pro Bowl as a coach," said Reid, whose team will be the most-represented with 10 players in the Pro Bowl. "We love it. Granted, we'd rather be in the Super Bowl, but while we're here, we will surely enjoy it."

Even before his Pro Bowl coaching experiences, Reid had been to Hawai'i once before. He said he was a member of the 1980 Brigham Young team that beat Hawai'i, 34-7. Aside from the win, he experienced Hawai'i's natural resources.

"I almost killed myself on a surfboard off Waikiki," he recalled. "I have zero talent for surfing."

Reid said the players here for the Pro Bowl should have fun, too.

"It's a little different atmosphere than your normal NFL Sunday game," he said. "But at the same time, it's still very competitive. These guys are paid a lot of money to compete against each other in the regular season and they take a lot of pride in making the Pro Bowl and showing off their talents."