Is Lurie Behind the Coughlin Interest?

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - Instead of swinging for the fences, maybe Jeffrey Lurie is cutting down on his swing and looking to stroke a double into the gap.

How else can you explain the Eagles' Monday interview of Tom Coughlin?

And the 69-year-old former Giants coach even got a little special treatment, according to ESPN.com, getting a personal audience with the owner himself before meeting with the search committee that will ultimately decide who will be Chip Kelly's successor in Philadelphia, Lurie, Howie Roseman and Don Smolenski.

The Eagles confirmed that the Coughlin interview was completed at about 4 p.m. ET.

And Coughlin is now generating interest elsewhere, as FOX Sports reports the veteran coach will also meet with the San Francisco 49ers this week about their head-coaching position.

(Listen to John McMullen discuss Tom Coughlin)

Ageism has been in a real thing around the NFL for the past number of years when it comes to coaching searches with most franchises looking for the next big thing who could spawn into an Andy Reid-like shelf life.

Other sixtysomethings like Bruce Arians in Arizona and Pete Carroll in Seattle, as well as Coughlin himself with the Giants, have turned that kind of thinking on its ear, though.

After stepping down last week with the Giants, it's now abundantly clear that Coughlin wants to continue to coach even though he is set to turn 70 in August.

While few would consider the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach a favorite to land the Eagles job, the fact he got an interview in the first place seems to indicate Philadelphia is being much more open-minded after the Chip Kelly debacle of 2013.

During the last process, the team centered in on the hot candidate and thought about no one else until Kelly claimed he was returning to the University of Oregon.

The Eagles brought in the flavor of the month first again this time, Adam Gase, but did not speed up their process once it became clear Gase was on a different timetable and the former Bears offensive coordinator took the Dolphins job.

Kansas City offensive coordinator and Reid Padawan Doug Pederson, who was interviewed on Sunday for four hours, is shaping up as one of the favorites for the Eagles and as more time passes, the thought of elevating interim head coach Pat Shurmur becomes more of a possibility.

Others who have interviewed for the job include running backs coach Duce Staley and Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. The Eagles have also requested permission to talk with Cincinnati defensive coordinator Paul Guenther.

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973ESPN.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen