Chiefs Name Andy Reid Head Coach from The Mothership
Reid, who enters his 22nd NFL season in 2013, joins the Chiefs after a 14-year stint as the head coach and executive vice president of football operations for the Philadelphia Eagles.
"My family and I are very excited to join the Chiefs organization and the Kansas City community," Reid said. "I want to thank the Hunt family for allowing me the opportunity to lead this storied franchise. The Chiefs have always had a passionate fan base and I'm looking forward to Sundays at Arrowhead Stadium. We've got a lot of work to do to get ready for next season, and we are going to get started immediately."
Hunt Put In Call To Reid At Right Time from KC Star
When Reid was just starting out as a head coach in Philadelphia, the late Lamar Hunt approached him at the NFL spring meetings at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. Hunt, who had a degree in geology from SMU, knew that Reid's older brother Reggie, was a geologist, so he struck up a conversation with the young coach.
"It was in between sessions and I'm standing outside, and he came up and started talking," Reid said. "I was taken aback by it just a bit. He talked to me about his background in geology ... I thought, ‘This is Lamar Hunt, this guy is one humble guy ...
"You feel that within the family as I've had a chance to meet the family. You can understand that history that is involved here, and how much they care about the Kansas City Chiefs and the city. You can take the old families in this league ... the Hunts, the Rooneys, the Maras ... that is good stuff. To be a part of that, it's awesome."
Philly Connection Helped Sell Reid On Chiefs from KC Star
No one in the Chiefs organization knew Andy Reid better than Chiefs president Mark Donovan.
Donovan served as the Philadelphia Eagles' senior vice president of business operations during 2003-08 before coming to Kansas City, while Reid was the Eagles head coach. So when Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt rounded up a traveling party to woo and interview Reid last week in Philadelphia, Donovan played a key role in Reid becoming the Chiefs' new head coach.
"I have to think from Andy's standpoint, it was pretty comforting to have somebody in the room that he knew as well as he did," Hunt said. "Mark played a positive role."
Reid On QB: 'I've Got To Find The Next Len Dawson' from KC Star
Quarterback emerged as a desperate need for the Chiefs last year when they finished 2-14. Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn each started eight games and were the NFL's two lowest-rated passers.
Their third quarterback is Ricky Stanzi, a fifth-round draft pick in 2011 who has yet to play in a regular-season game.
Reid said he would start the quarterback search with a thorough evaluation of those three players.
"I'm going to look at the guys who are here," Reid said. "I'll study the heck out of those guys. I'll have a chance to meet those guys. I'm going to grind on that, try to exhaust that part of it. Then I'll evaluate that at that point.
Hunt And Reid Discuss What They Want In GM And Coaching Staff from KC Star
Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt also has a new general manager to hire, and Reid has a staff to put in place - issues that were addressed Monday during Reid's introductory press conference at Arrowhead Stadium.
For starters, Hunt directly contradicted reports that surfaced over the weekend indicating that Reid would have total control over the Chiefs' personnel as he did in Philadelphia after being promoted to vice president of football operations in 2001.
"The general manager has say over personnel, and the head coach has say over coaching the football team, but I want them to be able to work together," said Hunt, who announced last week that he was altering the team's administrative structure to have the GM and coach report directly to him.
Now The Hard Part Begins For Reid from KC Star
Here, in Kansas City, Reid is being treated like a rock star. Literally, that's how a Chiefs employee describes it. A franchise that a week ago was assumed to be clueless and disinterested now has the kind of benefit of the doubt that comes with a clean board.
Here, in Kansas City, Reid has a presence about him, and fans are starting to see it. They lined up outside the team facilities for autographs, and then assembled outside a restaurant on the Plaza to make sure he felt welcomed.
Funny thing about that dinner, too. It was Reid, Hunt, team president Mark Donovan the three men's wives. They attracted quite a crowd, even for a Friday night. By the time the check came, the bar was packed and people waited on the sidewalk outside. The waitress offered to show them a back way out, but Reid wouldn't hear of it.
"Why?" he said. "Let's go say, ‘Hi.' "
Head Coach Andy Reid Introductory Press Conference from The Mothership
On the staff, will you interview them here, what's the process? "Here's what I did this morning; I got in early and started the interview process. I started with the oldest down to the youngest, that's the way it went. They had an opportunity to have a platform to talk and I had the opportunity to talk to them. There was positive interaction between all of us. We are all in the same profession together, and they deserve a chance to have an opportunity. There will be some that come with, but I'm still in that process."
Chiefs Introduce Andy Reid from The Associated Press via ESPN
"When I look at the Chiefs, I look at the bigger picture. What are they truly about? What are they made of?" Reid said. "Every organization goes through a lull, personnel changes, players grow old, they change. Maybe a draft pick here or there didn't work, a free agent didn't work. That happens. What's the grit of the organization?
"I've been in this thing long enough to appreciate that," Reid said. "I came from a great organization. I wanted to make sure I had that opportunity to be again in a great organization."
Andy Reid Shows Off His New Red Necktie from The Wall Street Journal
Meanwhile, in Kansas City, Andy Reid was officially announced as the new Chiefs coach. Reid, who spent 14 years in Philadelphia, viewed every Chiefs game from last season before even interviewing with Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. Reid will help Hunt find a general manager after Scott Pioli's departure last week, but indications are that Reid won't have the full authority he enjoyed with the Eagles. Reid and the Chiefs hold the first pick in this April's NFL draft.
Rebuilding The Chiefs Starts With A New QB from FS Kansas City
At his introductory press conference Monday at Arrowhead Stadium, Reid said, smiling, "I've got to find that next Len Dawson, doggone it."
Truthfully, Chiefs fans would settle for far less than a Hall of Famer such as Dawson after suffering through the horrific play of the team's quarterbacks in 2012.
And so would Dawson, the team's radio game analyst.
"I would settle for any (quarterback) who can help move the ball a little," Dawson told FOXSportsKansasCity.com. "We couldn't move the ball (in 2012). We couldn't get first downs. It's not always the quarterback's fault but maybe that's a good place to start."
Andy Reid's Mission: Find A Quarterback For Chiefs from USA Today
Reid takes over a roster that's probably not as bad as its 2-14 record from 2011 implies. There are playmakers on defense, though they fit a 3-4 scheme and Reid's Eagles teams ran the 4-3 for his 14 years in Philly.
On offense, there are options at wide receiver (Dwayne Bowe, who is slated to be a free agent), running back (Jamaal Charles, who might not like the idea of Reid's pass-heavy scheme) and wide receiver/running back (Dexter McCluster). Plus, Reid and the incoming GM will have a No. 1 overall draft pick at their disposal in April.
But the problem is at quarterback, and that's kind of a big issue to have, which is why it was a major topic of discussion in Reid's presser.
Andy Reid Takes Responsibility For All 14 Years In Philadelphia from CBS Philly
Kansas City may be a nice fit for Reid. He's going from Philadelphia, the fourth-largest media market, to Kansas City, the 31st largest media market in the country with one major newspaper and no regional sports network.
Reid is actually a genial guy with a funny, dry sense of humor. But in Philadelphia, he chose not to bear that side of himself, instead remaining publicly reserved. He may get that chance to be a football coach and nothing more in Kansas City.
Reid's Credentials Should Bolster Chiefs from The Examiner
During his two-year stint as quarterbacks coach, Reid worked with Packers quarterback Brett Favre. While tutoring Favre, Reid and the Packers won their second straight NFC title and Favre garnered league MVP honors for the third consecutive season.
Reid doesn't have anyone close to Favre's talent to work with in Kansas City, but Favre wasn't a world beater when he joined the Packers after a short stint in Atlanta.
Seeing KC Teams Work To Reverse Fortunes Is A Plus from The Hutchinson News
It's a good time to be a Kansas City fan.
Watching the Royals and Chiefs go all-in as their respective offseasons get under way has to be a sight for sore eyes.
Both organizations have seen better days. Both have received their fare share of scoffs from fans, media and opponents alike. And both have dealt with tumult.
So those big acquisitions - pitchers Wade Davis, Ervin Santana and "Big Game" James Shields for the Royals and coach Andy Reid for the Chiefs - give Kansas City some healing.
Huff And Johnson Nominated For NFL Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award from KVUE
Former Longhorns Michael Huff and Derrick Johnson have been nominated by their respective NFL teams for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The Award honors a player for his community, volunteer and charity work. One player from each NFL team is chosen for a local award and nominated for the national award. Huff has been nominated by the Oakland Raiders, while Johnson has been nominated by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Is Hunt Favoring Packers' Dorsey? from FS Kansas City
Dorsey and Tom Heckert, who worked for nine years with Reid in Philadelphia, are believed to be Reid's top two preferences for the position, though CBSSports.com, The NFL Network and The Kansas City Star have all reported that the Chiefs and Reid are leaning heavily toward Dorsey.
Interestingly, Dorsey turned down an offer to join Reid with the Eagles in 2001 to be the team's vice president of player personnel. Dorsey reportedly received a raise and an extension from the Packers at the time.
Chip Kelly Chase Illustrates Tricky Nature Of Finding An NFL Coach from NFL.com
Reid just suffered through a miserable two years with the Eagles, while Chiefs fans battled through two brutal years themselves. And yet, all Kansas City did was hand Reid full control, offering him the chance to recreate his winning history. Will Reid succeed, or will we see a replay of the end of his tenure in Philly?
There's the rub. What fits for one doesn't fit for another. A prime candidate can exist only in the eye of the beholder. Does the search reflect the quality of the candidate?
I'm not sure. Neither are you.
Reid Learned Lesson Of Free Agnency from ESPN
Outside free agency and in-house free agency remain two different things. A big part of building a winner is keeping your own players, and I expect Reid to work hard to keep his free agents.
The Chiefs have some key pending free agents in receiver Dwayne Bowe, left tackle Branden Albert and punter Dustin Colquitt. I'd be surprised if the Chiefs didn't seriously consider bringing all three back.
John Harbaugh Monday Quotes from BaltimoreRavens.com
The Chiefs announced Andy Reid as their new head coach. Just your thoughts on Andy being back that quickly and what kind of a job he can do at Kansas City. (Aaron Wilson) "Yes, was he ever gone? It was pretty quick. [I'm] not surprised at all. It's something that, personally, I expected him to be coaching right away. Andy's a great coach, a great man. [I] have a lot of respect for him. He'll do really well there."
Andy Reid Knows What Is Ahead Of Him from ESPN
"The quarterback position, I'm going to dig in and look at that and we'll build that thing," Reid said earlier in the news conference. "We'll see how that whole thing builds out. I need to spend some time working at it, though. I've got to find that next Len Dawson, doggone it. It might be right here, it might not."
Allow me to help. Reid's quarterback of the future is not on the Chiefs' roster and I think he knows it. There are many options he can look at in the coming weeks and it should bode well that Reid is looking forward to the process.
I liked what Reid had to say about this draft. He made it clear he won't try to force the quarterback issue with the pick.
Rooney Rule Or Ruse? Black Coaches Getting Ignored For Top Jobs from Atlanta Black Star
Andy Reid, whose Philadelphia Eagles missed the playoffs five of his last seven seasons as head coach, was fired a week ago and hired by Kansas City four days later. Four days.
Oregon coach Chip Kelly, whose team won the Fiesta Bowl over Kansas State this weekend, was flown to two NFL teams for interviews before deciding Sunday he would stay in college. NFL coordinators, such as Josh McDaniels, who bombed in two years as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Tom Clements (Green Bay), Bruce Arians (Indianapolis), Mike McCory (Denver), Todd Haley (Pittsburgh), Mike Zimmer (Cincinnati), Jay Gruden (Bengals) and Ken Whisenhunt, who was fired by Arizona, are widely consider among the top candidates to fill the five remaining NFL head-coaching vacancies.
They all have one thing in common: They are not black.
Unhand NFL Slay-Baby! Killer's LI Mom In $3M Battle from The New York Post
Perkins' family was the first to file for guardian rights, in a Tarrant County, Texas, court - and also filed a restraining order against Belcher's mother, Cheryl Shepherd.
Belcher's family simply doesn't deserve to raise Zoey, they argued.
"Why would you reward the murderer's mother by giving her this baby?" Jon Michael Franks, the lawyer for Perkins' family, told The Post.
KCChiefs.com Video: Andy Reid Introduced As Head Coach
KCChiefs.com Video: Andy Reid 1 On 1 With Mitch Holthus
KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs Live! Andy Reid Announcement Show