Rich Kotite Richard Edward " Rich " Kotite ( born October 13 , 1942 ) is a former National Football League player and coach . Playing career . Kotite was born in Brooklyn , New York . He was a tight end who played collegiately at Wagner College on Staten Island before being drafted in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings . After playing for his hometown New York Giants in 1967 , he went to the Pittsburgh Steelers the next year before returning to the Giants for a four - year stint starting in 1968 . Coaching career . After his playing days were over , Kotite spent much of the next two decades as an assistant coach in the NFL , including a lengthy stint as offensive coordinator of the New York Jets . Philadelphia Eagles . He was offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1990 , and was promoted to head coach after the firing of his controversial predecessor , Buddy Ryan . He led the squad to 10 - and 11 - win seasons in 1991 and 1992 respectively despite the loss of Eagle quarterback Randall Cunningham for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament on opening day of 1991 . His defense that year , under Bud Carson , led the league in run , pass and total defense . The Eagles were a wild card in the 1992 playoffs , finishing 8 - 0 at home . In the spring of 1993 the talent that had been drafted by Buddy Ryan began leaving the Eagles " en masse " ; Kotite had poor drafts and the level of talent dropped significantly as a result . In the 1993 season , the Eagles went 8 - 8 ; one of the many things for which Kotite was pilloried in Philadelphia was for saying " Hey , eight and eight is great . " They began the 1994 season 7 - 2 , with Kotite achieving his seventh win against the Arizona Cardinals , then coached by his former boss , Buddy Ryan . But Kotite , in a fit of braggadocio , told the media that he would keep his options open in the face of rumors that new team owner Jeffrey Lurie was not going to renew his contract . The timing proved disastrous , the Eagles losing all seven of their remaining games , after which Kotite was predictably fired . New York Jets . After the Eagles let him go , he returned to his home town as head coach of the New York Jets , who had just fired Pete Carroll after one losing season ( 6 - 10 ) . Owner Leon Hess named Kotite general manager as well . But under his leadership , the Jets suffered what are still the two worst seasons in franchise history . Kotite won only four games in two seasons , falling to 3 - 13 in 1995 and 1 - 15 in 1996 for the worst record in the league both years . Poorly handled drafts contributed to the rudderless ship , most notably Kotite ' s first round selection of tight end Kyle Brady over the heavily favored Warren Sapp in 1995 . Two days before the last game of the 1996 season , Kotite announced he was stepping down as head coach and has never coached in the NFL again in any capacity . Post NFL . After his coaching days were over , Kotite was involved in two TV promotional commercials , for the USA Network ' s during the US Open Tennis championships , and for AmeriTrade during the Super Bowl XXXIV pregame show casting him as father of a son who surprises him by telling him he wants to be a Broadway dancer . He continued his media career for the NFL as a regular contributor to NFL Films programming on the NFL Network in particular , including the " NFL Top 10 " show .