Nick Sirianni looks to other successful coaches for guidance. That includes hoops legend Dawn Staley.
Staley, who has won three national titles at South Carolina, was mum on the actual conversation. But Eagles stars like Jalen Hurts heard the North Philly native’s message loud and clear.
The Eagles are coming off a Super Bowl victory, but Nick Sirianni wants to make sure the team doesn’t get complacent — something it doesn’t sound like he’ll have to worry about, based on comments from A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, and more.
Still, the Eagles coach said he turned to some successful coaches — regardless of sport — for guidance after the franchise’s second Super Bowl win, saying Tuesday that he “talked to a lot of coaches this offseason trying to get better at my craft.”
This is hardly the first time Sirianni has reached out to his peers inside and outside of football. Before last season — and after the team’s disappointing end to the 2023 season — Sirianni also had Dawn Staley, a three-time national champion at South Carolina, and former Villanova coach Jay Wright, a two-time champion, visit the NovaCare Complex to talk with the team.
“I always talk to [former Mount Union] Coach [Larry] Kehres. I always talk to Coach [Frank] Reich,” Sirianni said. “I was fortunate to speak with Coach [Nick] Saban this year. Coach Geno [Auriemma] at UConn, Coach Staley at South Carolina.
“So there’s just been a lot of good insight that I’ve been able to pick up from them. And, again, you’ve got to continue to try to grow at all times. I’ve been thankful for them talking to me and passing that knowledge of questions that I have.”
Staley remains tight-lipped about what was said between her, Sirianni, and Eagles stars like Hurts and Saquon Barkley. But whatever words were exchanged, the message was heard and firmly put into action. The Eagles secured a 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9.
“I just shared what championship behavior looks like, sounds like, and feels like,” Staley told The Inquirer on Tuesday. “It was very synonymous with what they had going on. I think sometimes you need some reassurance you’re doing the right thing. Sometimes it’s just different in how you go about doing it, and maybe you can add some things to what you’re doing.
“But I know they probably walked away and said, ‘We’re right in line with what we’re doing, and it’s successful. We just have to finish it.’ And boy, did they finish it.”
As a lifelong Eagles fan, Staley was honored to receive Sirianni’s invitation. She said her goal was to be a source of “reassurance.”
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“I think I got more thrill out of it with them by just being in the same room with our Eagles,” Staley said. “This is who we scream for every Sunday, Monday, or Thursday, right? And to be in the room with Jalen, Saquon, and all of them that were in the room, it was pretty cool.”
So after the Eagles won in February — Staley had originally planned to attend but said she had to cancel at the last minute — Sirianni again hit up the North Philly native for some advice on how to stay hungry and avoid complacency.
“I love it when men in places like where Coach Sirianni are, where they don’t really care what gender you are,” she said. “They just want to win. If they find that you’re successful, they call you and see if you’re interested in coming in and just speaking and sharing some knowledge.”
Sirianni is used to dealing with adversity, but after winning Super Bowl LIX, he’s now using the advice he received to fuel the Eagles’ attempt at a repeat.
“I feel fortunate that I’m around a lot of guys like our coaches and our players on this team that, we have this will to win, right?” Sirianni said. “Someone put it this way. … You don’t win a pickup basketball game and say, ‘All right, I’m satisfied. I’m going home.’ You say, ‘Hey, how do we run it back?’ We’re not even thinking about running it back. We’re thinking about where we are today and getting better.”