The Philadelphia Eagles were saddened to learn on Wednesday from the passing of former Offensive Line coach Howard Mudd, one of the game’s all-time great linemen and assistant coaches. Mudd was 78 years old.
Mudd suffered serious injuries in a serious motorcycle accident on July 29 and was hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Seattle until his death.
Mudd concluded a brilliant 38-year run as an NFL offensive line coach in Philadelphia in the 2011-12 seasons. He was retired in 2019 to be a senior offensive assistant for the Indianapolis Colts, which is where he coached for 12 years prior to his tenure with the Eagles.
In 2011, Mudd integrated four new starters along the offensive line and helped the Eagles record 6,386 net yards (then a team record, now second in franchise history) and win 356 first downs (also a previous team record) . In that 2011 season, LeSean McCoy blossomed back with 1,624 yards of scrimmage, 1,309 rushing yards, and a franchise record and NFL best 20 total touchdowns. McCoy earned All-Pro honors that season along with left-handed tackle Jason Peters, as the Eagles allowed only 32 sacks, the lowest number since 2008. Center Jason Kelce, a pick in the sixth round, was a Week 1 starter despite the lockout that any communication with coaches to Training Camp. Kelce is today one of the elite players in his position with three consecutive selections from the first team All-Pro on his CV.
While he did not earn a Pro Bowl nomination until after Mudd left Philadelphia, Evan Mathis went from a traveling companion to a game on the left guard. Mathis said he jumped at the chance to sign with the Eagles in 2011 to play for Mudd after being cut by three other teams.
“The wealth of knowledge Howard has about the game has done great things for me and my career,” Mathis said in a 2012 interview.
Born in Midland, Michigan, Mudd was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s as a guard for San Francisco and Chicago. After an eight-year career that was cut short due to an injury, Mudd’s coaching career began coaching the offensive line at the University of California for two years before breaking into the NFL in 1974 with the San Diego Chargers. .
Mudd is best known for his time with the Colts, as Indianapolis won 115 games in the 2000s, including an NFL record seven straight seasons with at least 12 wins. From 1998-2009, the Colts scored a league-best 26.1 points per game and allowed the smallest sacks with 227. Quarterback Peyton Manning was a fourth-time NFL MVP, while Hall of Fame beating Edgerrin James two rushing titles. Mudd retired for the 2010 season before bringing Andy Reid Mudd to the sidelines in 2011 with Philadelphia.
Mudd was honored with the Pro Football Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He deserves to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
