By Arianna Guyer / USF Z News
TAMPA – 25 years ago, Kevin Patullo was the scout team quarterback for the University of South Florida with very little playing time. Earlier this year, he was announced as the new Offensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Patullo, 43, has been coaching in the National Football League for 16 seasons now. He started off his professional coaching career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007 as an offensive assistant and quality control coach. He went on to work with other NFL teams in New York, Tennessee and Indiana before finally landing in Philadelphia for the 2021 season as a passing game coordinator.
He was brought to the Eagles by the current head coach Nick Sirianni as they worked on the same staff together with the Indianapolis Colts. “Can’t be great without the greatness of others, and that is definitely a fact with Kevin Patullo, and I trust him with everything,” Sirianni said in an Associated Press article.
Ever since Patullo has been with the Eagles, he has done amazing things. He worked closely with star offensive players such as quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver AJ Brown and helped them break records one after another. Patullo’s passing knowledge aided the Eagles to clinch their spot in the 2022 Super Bowl and then again in 2025 to take the Super Bowl LIX Championship.
However, before he was a Super Bowl-winning coach, he was a backup quarterback and wide receiver for the USF football team. The three-year letterman from 2000-2002 only got to play in about 16 games throughout his entire college career.
He then became a graduate assistant coach in 2003 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing. He won the Golden Bull award in 1999 for being the program’s outstanding scout team player.
While his college football career was not necessarily the ideal scenario, he learned a lot within that time frame and his knowledge only expanded throughout his extensive coaching journey. The Bull’s alum is a true underdog story, which is notorious in Philadelphia.
A current professor at USF and former sports reporter, Dr. Travis Bell, said that Patullo’s story really shows that you do not have to jump right into the top position right away, but instead it is how you prove yourself and work your way up. “Where you start is not where you finish,” said Bell.
“Persistence pays off,” Bell stated when he described Patullo’s journey and how putting in the hard work and effort behind the scenes ultimately distinguishes one person from another.
Patullo’s career path can be seen as an inspiration to current USF students making them aware that success takes time and hard work.
USF graduate of 2011, Kelsey Matthiesen, supported the Eagles coach’s “relatable story” of working his way up from player to graduate assistant to an associate head coach. “it’s important for all students to see you might not get the biggest and brightest job right out of college,” said Matthiesen.
Current student athletes can also really benefit from seeing Patullo’s professional growth as it allows them to see the range of possibilities available to them after college. “Current players can also see there are many careers in their near future involving football,” said Matthiesen.
USF recognized Kevin Patullo’s successes in an Instagram post, wishing him luck in Super Bowl LIX. This acknowledgement has allowed Florida residents that are Eagles fans to show their immense support for the former Weston, Florida resident Patullo.
Florida fans like Diane Fowler, who is also a USF alum, are excited about Patullo’s promotion because they now feel a greater connection with their team that is hundreds of miles away. “Many of us Florida residents grew up in Eagles territory, so this connection is huge and will bring in new fans and added excitement to the current Eagles fan base,” said Fowler.
Patullo’s career is only just reaching its peak and still has so much room for great achievements. His start as a lower-level player and his many jobs with a variety of teams have helped him grow into the knowledgeable coach that he is today.
“When I got into coaching, I knew that was my path, and it would take on its own course, and I’ve been in multiple roles as I’ve gone on. It will work itself out,” Patullo said to Jeff Kerr with CBS Sports.