Doug Pederson was named head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles on January 18, 2016, following a three-year run as the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013-15.
In just his second season as an NFL head coach, Pederson led the Eagles to a 13-3 regular-season record, an NFC East title, the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and the first Super Bowl title in franchise history with a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
As a first-year head coach with the Eagles in 2016, Pederson helped develop rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, the No. 2-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and prepared the first-year signal caller to start the regular-season opener vs. the Cleveland Browns.
Under Pederson’s direction, Wentz went on to set a team and all-time NFL rookie record with 379 completions, while posting franchise rookie records in pass attempts (607), passing yards (3,782), passing touchdowns (16) and completion percentage (62.4%). Wentz also produced the 4th-most passing yards (3,782) in single-season team history and NFL rookie history. Wentz started all 16 games in his rookie season, becoming the first Eagles quarterback to start all 16 regular-season games since Donovan McNabb in 2008.
Prior to arriving in Philadelphia, Pederson served as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City from 2013-15 and helped guide the Chiefs to a 31-17 regular-season record.
During his time in Kansas City, the Chiefs excelled at protecting the football and committed the third-fewest turnovers (50) in the NFL from 2013-15. Over that span, Kansas City’s +29 turnover differential ranked third in the league.
In 2015, Pederson helped the Chiefs rebound from a 1-5 start to win a franchise-record 11 consecutive games, including Kansas City’s first playoff victory in 22 years. During the Chiefs’ regular-season winning streak, which began in Week 7, the club ranked tied for first in the NFL in rushing touchdowns (14), fourth in rushing yards per game (143.8) and tied for fifth in points per game (27.8). Limited turnovers helped propel the team’s run, as the Chiefs committed just seven turnovers (four INTs, three fumbles) after Week 6 and finished the 2015 regular season with the second-fewest turnovers in the league (15).
Kansas City acquired QB Alex Smith via trade in 2013 and the 10-year veteran experienced the most productive stretch of his career under Pederson’s tutelage: a three-year span during which he set a Chiefs record for wins by a starting quarterback in his first three years as a starter (30). During his three years in Pederson’s offense, Smith notched three consecutive 3,000-yard seasons, threw the second-fewest interceptions among quarterbacks with at least 1,000 attempts (20) and ranked fourth among all quarterbacks with 1,183 rushing yards. Smith’s 20 interceptions from 2013-15 marked the lowest three-season total of his career in years that he played more than 10 games.
Before joining Kansas City, Pederson served as the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia from 2011-12. In his first season as the Eagles quarterbacks coach, Pederson helped QB Michael Vick become the second quarterback in NFL history to top the 3,000-yard passing and 500-yard rushing plateaus in consecutive seasons. That year, under Pederson’s direction, Vick set career highs in completions (253) and passing yards (3,303) while throwing the third-most touchdowns of his career (18). Vick’s yards through the air, combined with his 589 rushing yards, helped Philadelphia’s offense record a then-franchise-record 6,386 net yards (now the second-highest total) and notch a team-record 356 first downs. Additionally, the 2011 Eagles offense ranked second in the league in plays of 10-plus yards (258) and tied for second in plays of 20-plus yards (84).
Pederson began his pro coaching career as an offensive quality control coach with the Eagles in 2009 and served in that capacity through the 2010 season. In his two seasons in that role, the Eagles combined for 868 points and set single-season franchise scoring records in back-to-back years (429 in 2009 and 439 in 2010).
In 2010, Pederson assisted an Eagles offense that recorded a then-franchise-record 6,230 net yards (now fourth), which ranked second in the NFL that season, and a then-franchise-record 439 points, which ranked third in the league. The 2010 Eagles ranked tied for first in plays of 20-plus yards (80) and quick-strike touchdown drives (11), and finished second in scoring outside of the red zone (139 points).
During Pederson’s first season as an NFL coach (2009), the Eagles offense recorded the fifth-most passing yards in team history (4,089), which at the time ranked second in club annals.
A 12-year NFL veteran, Pederson played quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns after originally being drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 expansion draft. Pederson was coached by three of the most successful coaches in NFL history: Don Shula, Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid. Additionally, Pederson played alongside Pro Bowl quarterbacks Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Donovan McNabb and Jim McMahon.
Pederson served as a backup quarterback for Green Bay from 1995-98 and 2001-04, and was part of Packer teams that won Super Bowl XXXI, two NFC Championships (1996 and 1997) and six division titles. Pederson made eight starts for the Browns in 2000 and logged 1,047 yards and two touchdowns on 117 completions. In 1999, Pederson made nine starts for the Eagles, completing 119 passes for 1,276 yards and seven touchdowns.
In a 1993 contest against the Eagles, Pederson was pressed into duty when Dolphins starter Scott Mitchell left the game with a shoulder injury. In the second half, he helped guide Miami to a 19-14 win that marked Don Shula’s 325th career victory.
Pederson attended Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana Monroe) where he was a three-year starter at quarterback. He finished his college career with 6,445 yards and 33 touchdowns on 571-of-1,032 passing. As a senior, Pederson led the Southland Conference in passing when he completed 205 of 367 passes for 2,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. In 1989, he set a school record with 619 passing yards against Stephen F. Austin. Pederson graduated from Northeast Louisiana with a B.B.A. in business management.
The Bellingham, WA, native (born January 31, 1968) earned three letters each in football, baseball and basketball at Ferndale (WA) H.S., where he was an all-league selection at quarterback, safety and kicker and finished his high school career with 1,880 yards and 19 TDs on 106-of-250 passing.
Pederson and his wife, Jeannie, have three sons: Drew, Josh and Joel. Jeannie played basketball at Louisiana College.