Chiefs Search for a New Coaching Staff
With my first post as a new writer on this blog I would like to welcome any and all criticism, debate, kudos, etc. I know Chiefs fans do not always see eye to eye, but in the end we all want the same thing. A winning football team and a chance at a championship. We can debate all day long about the proper path to achieve this, but just remember we are all on the same side.
At this point it sounds like Todd Haley will be the new Chiefs Head Coach, awaiting a few details and signatures to make it official. So with that finally resolved the next big questions will surround the staff he will assemble. Will he be able to coax any of his buddies from Arizona to follow him? Will Chan Gailey stay on as Offensive Coordinator? Who will he hire at Defensive Coordinator? In this short post I will look at a couple of options.
Offense:
Frankly I believe our offense, at least the last half of the season, was not to blame for the majority of our loses. The defense ended up losing quite a few winnable games in 2008. I’ve long been a fan of Gunther, but he and Herm just did not see eye to eye when it came to defensive schemes. A new start in Detroit should prove productive for Gunther, given he can find any talent to surround himself with.
So with that said, I whole heartedly believe Chan Gailey should stay on as Offensive Coordinator in 2009. He was able to take Tyler “Getting Thiggy Wit It” Thigpen, and transform him into a respectable NFL QB. Thiggy is not your “typical” under center, NFL style quarterback, but he has proven himself as a viable option given the appropriate game plan. Don’t let our record fool you, we were a much more competitive team the last half of the season, rather it produced wins or not.
Combining Gailey’s knack for making something out of nothing, and Haley’s obviously offensive prowess, we could easily have a top 15 offense this year. I will discuss my thoughts on the draft at a later date.
Defense:
So what about our defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in virtually every statistical category in 2008? If we can find a Defensive Coordinator that is on the same page as Haley, that alone can only help this unit. Having Gunther “handcuffed” into playing Herm’s style wasn’t productive, and it obviously showed.
So who may be next? One name I’d like to throw out there is Romeo Crennel. What!? The same Romeo Crennel that just got fired by the Browns? Yes. Crennel has shown promise in the past, but as a Defensive Coordinator, not a Head Coach. Some people just aren’t cut out for leading a team, but that doesn’t mean he can’t lead a defense.
In his time as Defensive Coordinator with the Patriots he won three Super Bowls in four years. Not a bad track record. He has been a part of six different Super Bowls and has came out of top five out of those six times. Again, sounds promising right?
Crennel has worked with both Pioli and Haley in the past, along with Parcells and Belichick. He coached with Parcells from 1993-1996 with the Patriots and from 1997-1999 with the Jets. While with the Jets, Pioli was the Director of Pro Personnel (97-2000) and Haley was the Wide Receiver’s Coach (95-2000), so he has history with them. In 2000, Crennel became the Defensive Coordinator for Belichick in New England until 2004. Having both Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick want you as their DC is quite a vote of confidence.
Well that’s my first two cents. I hope I didn’t drag that on too long. As I stated before, please feel free to comment on my style, ideas, etc. Should I post multiple, shorter posts or combine them into one like this? Also, I do pride myself with be at the fore front of most all rumors and/or happenings with the Chiefs and hope to have more “breaking news” rumors posted on a regular basis.
Thanks for reading and please, be gentle!
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Chiefs Offer Todd Haley Head Coaching Job
So in a move that most have been expecting the Kansas City Chiefs have officially offered their head coaching job to Cardinals’ OC Todd Haley.
FOX Sports on MSN - Jay Glazer - Sources: Cards assistant tabbed to coach Chiefs.
FOXSports.com has learned that the Chiefs offered the position to Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley and he has accepted. They are now trying to work out terms of a contract agreement.
And apparently the reports of Haley interviewing for the Chiefs head coaching job this past week were also true (go figure, huh).
Haley interviewed for the position earlier this week and a Cardinals player at the Pro Bowl told FOXSports.com Haley was scheduled to arrive in Honolulu for the Pro Bowl Thursday as a guest of Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald, but canceled at the last moment because of the Kansas City job.
It is nice have a guy (almost I guess) that is highly respected and that the players realize is a big loss.
“He’s going to be a big loss for us,” another Cards player told FOXSports.com.
A different Cardinals player said, “He was really liked in the locker room, because we felt like he was always trying to figure something out for us for Sundays. He never stopped.”
Haley called the plays for the high-flying Cardinals offense that shocked the world by not only getting to the Super Bowl, but nearly winning it last Sunday.
So, it’s looking like a “Welcome to the Kansas City Chiefs” is in order for you Todd Haley.
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Chiefs get permission to talk to Cardinals’ Todd Haley
The Kansas City Chiefs have received permission to talk to AZ Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley. This should come as a shocker to no one…
Chiefs get permission to talk to Cardinals’ Haley - Kansas City Star.
It was unclear when or where the meeting between Haley and Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli would take place.
Haley, 42, gained prominence this year as the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator. The Cardinals won the NFC West, had one of the league’s highest-scoring offensive teams and advanced to their first Super Bowl, where they were beaten in the final seconds by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This rumor has been going on the mill for a few weeks now and looks like it has finally come to be.
Don’t forget that Haley is a Pioli guy:
Haley and Pioli worked together from 1997 through 1999 with the New York Jets, Pioli as the director of pro personnel and Haley as an assistant coach.
I was impressed with Haley’s offense against the Steelers, mainly with his ability to make mid-game adjustments (something the Chiefs needed DESPERATELY last season). But like I have said many times “In Pioli I trust” until proven otherwise!
If Todd Haley comes to Kansas City to join the Chiefs I with him the best in his journey as a head coach. Let’s do this…
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Chiefs News - Head Coaches, Grocery Stores and Rooney Rule
Just doing a little catchup here on some Chiefs news.
If you have never been to a game this won’t mean as much to you, but the Kansas City Chiefs will now have Hy-Vee as it’s go to grocery store… so for all of us season ticket holders that means no more, “Chiefs and Chopper! Chiefs and Chopper!”
Chiefs switching supermarket sponsorship contract from Price Chopper to Hy-Vee - Kansas City Star
Say so long to “Chiefs and Chopper.”
After nearly three decades, the homegrown Price Chopper chain will no longer be the Kansas City Chiefs’ “official” grocery sponsor. Price Chopper said the Chiefs indicated that when the sponsorship contract ran out in March, Iowa-based Hy-Vee Food & Drug would take over.
Chiefs Head Coaching News:
Nothing really new as far as Chiefs head coaching news besides a ‘report’ (esp as of late, we all know how reliable some of these reports can be) out of Chicago saying that Cardinals OC Todd Haley is expected to interview with the Chiefs very soon.
Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley is expected to interview with the Kansas City Chiefs this week for their head coaching vacancy.
One part of this article that I find interesting is this:
One source said minority candidates have turned down interviews to fulfill the Rooney Rule because the prevailing feeling in league circles is that the job belongs to Haley.
If the Chiefs are unable to interview a minority candidate because they all believe the head coaching job is already spoken for, then what? Will the Chiefs be fined by the league or will they let it slide because they offered interviews and were turned down? If true, this could be very interesting to watch play out.
Well, that’s all for Chiefs news for now. Go Chiefs!
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Chiefs fire Herm Edwards: Mike Shanahan near a deal to become Chiefs head coach
Chiefs fire Edwards; Shanahan next
Well, it is looking like that report that came out Wednesday could be right afterall.
Herm has been fired and it looks like the next head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs could be Mike Shanahan.
The Chiefs have been in negotiations to land Shanahan as their next coach and a deal is near, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
That is all they are saying at the moment about Shanahan and the Chiefs and I will let you guys know the second I hear a deal has been struck (if one is struck).
In the mean time here is a little more on the Herm Edwards firing:
“On behalf of my family, I want to thank Herm for his service to the Chiefs,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said in a team statement. “After careful deliberation over the last week, Scott and I decided that it was in the best interests of the Chiefs to move forward in a different direction.
“This was not an easy decision. Herm is an outstanding football coach and a man of integrity. We appreciate his leadership over the past three seasons, and we wish him all the best in the future.”
This pretty much sums up Herm’s time in KC.
Edwards came to Kansas City from the Jets and made the playoffs in his first season, when the team was 9-7. But he was under fire after the team finished 4-12 in 2007. Team management gave him its support, but expected a run at the playoffs. Instead, the team went 2-14, leaving Edwards’ fate up in the air.
In Edwards’ three seasons in Kansas City, only 3 teams had worse records: Detroit, Oakland and St. Louis.
I really like Herm as a person I just feel it was the right time for a change to be made. I wish you all of the best Herm.
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Mike Shanahan Next Chiefs Head Coach?
The rumor mill is spinning more than it has in a while her in KC and it is saying that Mike Shanahan could be the next head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mike Shanahan Could be Next Chiefs Head Coach - NBC Action News KSHB-TV 41.
NBC Action Sports has learned that the Chiefs are getting very close to naming their new head coach.
While we can’t confirm it, we’re hearing that it sounds like Mike Shanahan could be the replacement for Herm Edwards. We should find out by Friday.
Jack Harry of NBC in Kansas City is the one that broke this story and coincidentally he is the same guy that said Mike Shanahan ‘reached out’ to the Chiefs back on Jan. 13. Like most others I wonder how he, of all people, has an insider at One Arrowhead Drive when everything has been kept so air-tight recently.
I’m not sure how I feel about this. Shanahan’s record speaks for itself without Elways (only one playoff victory in the last 10 years) but as I said before I will trust Pioli is making the right decision until it is otherwise shown.
Shany “The Rat” could be our next coach Chiefs fans, what do you think?
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