Of course, Stout didn’t leave.
But there were some major rumors that Stoutland was set to return to Alabama this offseason, which made some sense.
While Stoutland downplayed that rumor about his returning to Alabama, he did say this spring that if he were to ever return to coach college, it would be for the Crimson Tide.
“This is the highest level of football that a coach could be,” Stoutland said.
Sirianni was blown away by the success of the Eagles’ unit coming off the Super Bowl run but was even more impressed by how Reich spoke of Stoutland.
“I gave Coach Stoutland a call as soon as that article came out and he reassured us that he was coming back,” Mailata said.
I think players appreciate that and I appreciate the fact that a player sees the fact that I’m doing everything in my power to help them.
During his eight seasons as the Eagles’ offensive line coach, Stoutland’s players have combined for six All-Pros and 16 Pro Bowl appearances.
But perhaps Stoutland’s greatest accomplishments were on display last season.
“I’ve done this for 38 years and I’ll be honest with you: I’ve never been a better coach than I am right now,” Stoutland said.