‘Very driven’: How his time with Duke football helped an Eagles coach reach the Super Bowl

Joe Kasper’s path to the NFL started long before he ever set foot on a professional sideline, but it’s led him to a second Super Bowl appearance in four years as he prepares for Sunday’s game alongside his Philadelphia Eagles players and fellow coaches.

Growing up in Mentor, Ohio, football was always part of his world. By his junior year of college, he had already broken into the league with the Cleveland Browns.

After graduating from Baldwin Wallace University, Kasper returned to Mentor High, then made a brief stop at John Carroll University before landing at Duke as a graduate assistant.

During his three seasons with the Blue Devils, Kasper worked under former head coach David Cutcliffe. Even as a young coach, Cutcliffe saw Kasper’s potential.

“One of the first things I noticed about Joe is that he had a connection with the players and he did that exceptionally well,” Cutcliffe said. “He is very smart, very driven, and was always looking at the game from all angles. The X’s and O’s, but also the psychology and the strategy of the game. I knew he would do well moving forward.”

At Duke, Kasper had the opportunity to work on both sides of the ball but eventually found his strength working with the defensive secondary. Cutcliffe watched as Kasper continued to develop meaningful, genuine relationships with the players — something he felt set Kasper apart from other coaches.

Aside from his ability to connect with players, Cutcliffe was always impressed by Kasper’s drive. Since he did not have any previous ties to the game, Kasper was forced to pave his own way in coaching.

“Joe earned his way there. And when you do that it means more,” Cutcliffe said. “He knows he’s earned his way there. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in coaching, he had to earn his path to that level.”

In 2019 while at Duke, Kasper lost his father, Michael, to cancer. Kasper valued having his father at Duke games when he was coaching but in his death, he found himself surrounded by support from the Durham community.

“The way that the Duke staff and players rallied around me and helped me through that really tough time was really spectacular to me,” Kasper said. “I don’t know if I was somewhere else that I would have been afforded that kind of support at the start.”

In 2021, Kasper was hired as the Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Quality Control Coach. He made his first Super Bowl appearance in 2022 with the Eagles, spent time since then with the Miami Dolphins, and now, back with the Eagles, will look to earn his first ring on Sunday.

Even after leaving Duke, Kasper has stayed in touch with former colleagues and players. Kasper credits Cutcliffe with a lot of his development at a young age.

“It was like completing a degree in football with a Coach Cut,” Kasper said. “There’s just not too many people that have such a good understanding of the game.”

Cutcliffe is not at all surprised by Kasper’s success. Kasper’s goals as a coach haven’t changed since his time at Duke — he wants to serve his players and operate with integrity. However, Cutcliffe believes his thirst and dedication to the game has increased even more over the years.

Eagles safety Reed Blankenship credited Kasper with being one of the best coaches he has ever been around because he always goes the extra mile for his players.

“Joe does extra work, extra film, and makes the job easy for us,” Blankenship said. “He gives us homework and does multiple cut-ups of different calls. You don’t see a lot of coaches doing that for their players.”

Under Kasper’s guidance, the Eagles’ secondary has shown dramatic improvement, with players like Blankenship and rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell thriving under his approach. Mitchell added that outside of Kasper’s stellar sense of humor, he has a different understanding of the game that has allowed Mitchell to flourish in his first year.

On Sunday, Cutcliffe will watch Kasper face off against former Blue Devil Noah Gray in Super Bowl LIX. Regardless of the outcome, Cutcliffe is incredibly proud of Kasper’s personal and professional development.

“You have to seek knowledge and never quit learning,” Cutcliffe said. “And I think everybody he’s been around, he’s learned from and he’s chosen his people carefully and when you do that, that’s your opportunity for quality growth, not just growth. I have definitely seen Joe grow in every aspect, both on and off the field.”

Maya Waid is a student with UNC Media Hub, a program with the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, reporting from the Super Bowl in New Orleans.