Glum goodbyes | Sports Daily Newsletter

It was bound to happen. A brain trust this solid wasn’t going to stay in Philly forever, not when there are head coaching jobs ripe for the taking.

But still. Both coaches leaving the Eagles on the same day? Probably not a great feeling for the likes of Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman, even if it was inevitable.

But as Shane Steichen heads to Indy and Jonathan Gannon moves on to Arizona, is one loss greater than the other? Absolutely, writes Marcus Hayes.

Steichen will be tough to replace, but losing Gannon, yes, Gannon, is devastating. He may not have been the most popular among fans, but he was beloved by his players and had the trust of head coach Nick Sirianni. Read more about why losing Gannon stings most here.

— Maria McIlwain, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓ Who is your pick for the next offensive and defensive coordinators? Why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon are moving on, so it’s time to look into our crystal ball to see who will succeed them as Nick Sirianni’s right-hand men. Will they be internal hires like Brian Johnson, or will the Birds look to outside the organization and go for someone like the Seahawks’ Sean Desai? EJ Smith takes a look at potential candidates.

Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts is eligible to sign a contract extension for the first time, but he’s not discussing that, yet.

The Phillies look to join an exclusive club as they begin spring training this week. Only four teams have won consecutive National League pennants since 1979. “If we stay healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, I think the results will be there,” says manager Rob Thomson. Here, then, is a starting lineup of nine questions as pitchers and catchers crank it up this week in Clearwater, Fla. And it starts with whether the Phillies will turn to a teenager at the back of their rotation.

Thanks to the World Baseball Classic, new Phillie Trea Turner will get only a few weeks to get to know his teammates and the rule changes debuting this season. But he’s not sweating the baseball side of things.

The 76ers won’t ask Dewayne Dedmon for much as Joel Embiid’s backup. Their objective simply is to run up the score with Embiid and survive the moments without him. But will Dedmon make a difference? He can’t hurt. The Sixers’ current backups, Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed, are undersized and have struggled to rebound. Dedmon at least can handle that at 6-foot-10 and 240-plus pounds. Can he do more? We’ll soon see.

Next: The Sixers host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in their final game before the All-Star break (ESPN).

Some athletes just have the knack, the magic touch, for not only scoring, but doing so at the right time and place, even when the pressure is highest and the nerves are fraught. One such player is forward Lynn Williams, and Gotham FC is counting on her influence to lift a team that has struggled to get consistent positive results.

Ahead of the SheBelieves Cup, Jonathan Tannenwald caught up with Williams about her move to Gotham and her return from injury to compete for a spot on the USA roster in this summer’s Women’s World Cup.

In Philly, a key player in the successful campaign for the city to host the 2026 World Cup has landed another plum job in the area.

We asked you: What do the Eagles need to do to return the Super Bowl and win it? Among your responses:

Without question, defense and a coordinator that can make changes on a a dime. The commentators all talk about a dynasty; why not us and not KC. We have the pieces for a multi-year run, can’t wait until September. — Dick F.

First, they need to get a new offensive coordinator since he took a job with the Colts. That is top priority for management and Nick Sirianni.

— Walt W.

It might be hard to face it, but what the Eagles need to win the big game is for Cincinnati to upset Kansas City in the AFC championship game. — Ron B.

To begin with, T.J. Edwards was targeted all game by [Patrick] Mahomes. The Eagles need a linebacker who can read offensive schemes and defend the pass. ... [Marcus] Epps needs to go. He gets beat on pass plays by bigger receivers and missed a tackle against [Christian] McCaffrey that led to a 49ers touchdown. Quez [Watkins] needs to hire a strength coach, gain ten pounds of muscle, and work on his route running during the offseason. Nakobe Dean should start next year. [Darius] Slay can be replaced (overrated). Re-sign [James] Bradberry ... — Kent O.

it will be more difficult for many reasons. They are going to have a much tougher schedule. It will be hard to win 14 games again with so many guys eligible to leave. Hurts is going to get a lot of money and take up more of the cap. We need Howie to draft great — not only the 10th but the 30th also. ... They also could use a better backup QB and another running back assuming Sanders is gone. This is asking a lot. — Wendell I.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, EJ Smith, Jeff McLane, Josh Tolentino, Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Jonathan Tannenwald, Erin McCarthy, Aaron Carter, Melanie Heller, Cayden Steele, and Colin Beazley.