The Eagles’ Temple connection grows.
Two weeks after hiring former Temple assistant coach Sean Desai to run their defense, the Eagles announced the hiring of D.J. Eliot as linebackers coach on Thursday.
Eliot was the Owls’ defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach in 2022, his only season at Temple. Eliot replaces Nick Rallis, who went to Arizona to be Jonathan Gannon’s defensive coordinator.
Desai started his coaching career at Temple in 2006 and stayed until 2010.
Eliot also coached at Kansas, Florida State, Miami, Colorado and Kentucky. Nine of his 23 college seasons were spent as defensive coordinator.
Eliot played linebacker at Wyoming and began his coaching career there as a grad assistant in 1999.
There were rumors out of the Boston media that Patriots assistant Matt Patricia was a candidate for the Eagles’ linebackers job.
The Eagles still have two openings on the defensive coaching staff — defensive backs coach and defensive quality control coach. Dennard Wilson, who reportedly was fired from the defensive backs job, took the same job with the Ravens. Joe Kasper left to become the safeties coach with the Dolphins.
In a roster move, the Eagles released veteran offensive lineman Brett Toth. He did not play in 2022 after tearing his ACL in 2021.
