Haley won't call plays in Kansas City

The Chiefs hired Todd Haley largely because of his creative play calling with the Arizona Cardinals.

But Haley won’t use those skills in Kansas City, at least not right away.  His offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, a holdover from Herm Edwards’ staff, will handle the job on Sundays.

“This wasn’t a decision that was made quickly. I put a
lot of thought into it,” Haley told the Kansas City Star.

“Chan will call the plays as I see it right now.
This is all part of the learning process of trying to get it right.
That’s where we’ll start from, and I would say that’s the way we’ll go
into the season.”

Haley counseled coaching mentors like Ken Whisenhunt and Bill Parcells about the decision.  They thought that the duties of a rookie head coach were considerable enough without adding gameplanning to the mix.

“That was my dilemma,” Haley said. “It was the most fun I’ve ever had
in my life, designing the offense and calling the plays. Selfishly, I’d
love to go out and call the plays.”

Gailey’s experience in 2008 may have helped Haley make his
decision.  Known as a highly conservative play caller in his previous
stops, Gailey changed gears in midseason and began running a spread
offense when Tyler Thigpen took over as the starter.

The wide-open style was a dramatic change, and it effectively created yards considering the circumstances.  Haley also ran a similarly aggressive passing attack in Arizona.

Ultimately, Whisenhunt’s experience stepping back from play calling duties when he took over in Arizona was a deciding factor for Haley. 

Now Haley must hope that Gailey is as proficient running someone else’s offense as he once was. 

If not, Haley might selfishly have to take his old job back.