The Philadelphia Eagles interviewed Chicago Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke for defensive coordinator, the team announced Monday.

Hoke would replace Sean McDermott, who was fired by the Eagles in mid-January.

The Eagles allowed 377 points this season, the most since 1974. Philadelphia won the NFC East with a 10-6 record before losing to the Green Bay Packers 21-16 in a first-round playoff game.

Under Hoke, the Bears ranked ninth overall on defense, second against the rush and tied for third with 35 takeaways this season. Opposing offenses managed just 256 points (16 per game), fourth-fewest in the NFL, and the 14 passing touchdowns allowed by Chicago was the league’s second-lowest total.

Chicago won the NFC North with a 11-5 mark, but lost to the Packers 21-14 in the NFC Championship Game.

Hoke spent seven seasons with the Houston Texans before joining the Bears in 2009. His younger brother, Brady, was named head football coach at the University of Michigan earlier this month.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trentonian Staff Report

Quintin Mikell came out after the Eagles playoff loss the Packers and said his teammate was distracted by an off-field issue.

Now we know what he meant.

Akers’ agent, Jerrold Colton, said it was a “private family health concern”. Akers had been silent on the issue but told The Philadelphia Inquirer in a story that appeared in yesterday’s editions that his 6-year-old daughter Halley had a malignant cyst in her left ovary that was removed in the week after the game.

“They used the word tumor or cyst or growth,” Akers told the newspaper. “And you’re like, ‘OK, what does that mean?’ Cancer is what that means.”

Akers’ wife, Erika, told the newspaper that she could tell from her seat in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field that her husband’s mind wasn’t solely on the game against the Packers.

“I could tell he was there doing his job,” she told the newspaper. “But he wasn’t there.”

Trentonian Staff Report

Quintin Mikell came out after the Eagles playoff loss the Packers and said his teammate was distracted by an off-field issue.

Now we know what he meant.

Akers’ agent, Jerrold Colton, said it was a “private family health concern”. Akers had been silent on the issue but told The Philadelphia Inquirer in a story that appeared in yesterday’s editions that his 6-year-old daughter Halley had a malignant cyst in her left ovary that was removed in the week after the game.

“They used the word tumor or cyst or growth,” Akers told the newspaper. “And you’re like, ‘OK, what does that mean?’ Cancer is what that means.”

Akers’ wife, Erika, told the newspaper that she could tell from her seat in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field that her husband’s mind wasn’t solely on the game against the Packers.

“I could tell he was there doing his job,” she told the newspaper. “But he wasn’t there.”

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles plan to use the franchise tag on quarterback Michael Vick and listen to trade offers for backup Kevin Kolb, according to a report, confirming two moves that have long been expected.

It has long been reported that franchising Vick was not only likely but necessary to keep the Pro Bowl quarterback in Philadelphia. ESPN cited a “league source” in reporting Sunday that Vick will be franchised, indicating that the team has definitively decided to bring the quarterback back in 2011.

A league source confirmed the report Sunday night.

ESPN also said the Eagles will listen to trade offers for Kolb but did not cite a source.

Titans continue

coaching search

The Tennessee Titans might be a little rusty as they search for their first head coach since the end of the 1994 season, and their timing couldn’t be worse with a team that seems to be crumbling.

First, they decided to trade or release quarterback Vince Young. Now, they’ve parted with Jeff Fisher after 16 full seasons as their head coach. Add in the fact that owner Bud Adams is impatient at age 88, along with a looming lockout, and this offseason looks like no other.

Since the franchise promoted Fisher, there have been 110 coaches hired by the other 31 NFL teams through the end of 2010. And it makes for easily the biggest decision Tennessee has faced since relocation from Texas in 1997.

Adams is making the final decision, and general manager Mike Reinfeldt said they have a long list of potential candidates they planned to trim down by Monday.

Reinfeldt calls prior head coaching experience a good thing but noted Fisher was defensive coordinator when promoted in 1994.

The top candidate could be offensive-line coach Mike Munchak. He was a Hall of Fame lineman for the franchise while in Houston.

Note

• Tim McCaskey, the Chicago Bears’ vice president and the second-oldest of team matriarch Virginia and Ed McCaskey’s 11 children, has died.

The Bears announced his death Sunday night. He had battled cancer over the past 17 months. His age was reported to be 65.

POSTED: 10:24 pm EST January 30, 2011