 | Mark Schremmer is a major contributor to KPREPS.com, a website dedicated to covering Kansas high school football. A Pittsburg native and Pittsburg State University graduate, he is assistant news editor at The Topeka Capital-Journal and has covered sports in Kansas since 2000. |
Sports
2013-02-01 08:58:20
Chiefs enter second phase of rebuilding efforts
A-Four years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs decided it was time to rebuild.
The organization said goodbye to head coach Herm Edwards and longtime general manager Carl Peterson, hiring former New England Patriots executive Scott Pioli to run the football operations and former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley to coach the team.
Pioli was a “my way or the highway” general manager who was determined to run every facet of the organization. Haley, who is the son of former NFL executive Dick Haley, climbed the coaching ladder despite never playing a down of football – even at the high school level.
To say that the Chiefs have approached their second attempt at rebuilding differently would be an understatement.
This time around, Kansas City hired its head coach first, naming longtime Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid. It’s fair to say that Reid is the anti-Haley. A former college lineman with 13 years of experience as an NFL head coach, Reid earns a level of instant respect from his players and assistant coaches. In 2009, the Chiefs hired Haley based on potential. Reid was hired based on experience and past performance.
Instead of bringing in an “all powerful” GM to run the organization, the Chiefs hired former Green Bay Packers executive John Dorsey after Reid and the offensive and defensive coordinators had already been hired.
Reid has led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, and Dorsey has built a resume that includes finding solid quarterbacks and hidden gems in the draft. There’s no doubt the Chiefs seem to be moving in a better direction. With that said, the extreme opposite of a bad choice isn’t always a great decision. Lack of water can kill a plant. However, too much water can have the same result. Typically, the best results are usually found somewhere in the middle.
Reid has been a great coach, and Dorsey has credibility throughout the league. However, personal problems, including the loss of a son, made Reid appear worn down and tired in his final season with the Eagles. There also is potential for conflict with the way the Chiefs handled hiring the coach before his boss.
This isn’t meant to be a downer. On paper, these are good hires. But the point is, Pioli and Haley also were good hires on paper at the time. But games aren’t won during coaching and GM press conferences.
If Dorsey and Reid are to right the ship in Kansas City, it all starts with the Chiefs’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft in April. That selection should set the tone for the future of the organization.
With a good draft, coupled with some solid free agent signings and a little luck, the Chiefs could very well be on the right path.
Still, there is a lot of work ahead.
