Twenty years ago I reconnected with an old Utah State friend, ex-Aggie quarterback Chico Canales, who became Arizona’s offensive coordinator under Mike Stoops. I played lots of golf with Chico in the off-season and he introduced me to UA offensive analyst Kevin Patullo, who Chico had recruited to Tucson from their days at South Florida.
Chico, Kevin and I must’ve played 10 or 12 rounds together. One day in 2006, Chico phoned to say he and Patullo had been fired by Stoops. I went to his house; Kevin was there. It was not a good scene.
Patullo, then 25, thought his career was over. But he found his way, step by step, working for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. His only misstep was to coach for Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M in 2017, when the whole staff was fired.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, left, talks with assistant head coach Kevin Patullo during warmups before an NFL preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, Saturday, Aug.24, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Finally, Patullo was hired last week to be the new offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, capping a storybook rise from Tucson, his first coaching job, to the biggest of the big time. Never say never, right?
