As momentum builds toward the Chiefs possibly hiring former Eagles coach Andy Reid (wake me up when it’s a 95-percent certainty), the question becomes whether the Chiefs would then keep G.M. Scott Pioli.
The easy answer is no. Reid and Pioli come from two different coaching trees.
Or perhaps it would best be described as two separate coaching forests. Reid traces back to offensive guru Mike Holmgren, Pioli to defensive genius Bill Belichick. So Reid would potentially want his own guy, someone who comes from the same mindset and pedigree, to help set the table.
The unknown in this is whether and to what extent Reid and Pioli have fashioned a relationship that could be transformed into a partnership. And a partnership it would be; Chiefs owner Clark Hunt recently told NFL Network that the next coach will report directly to the owner.
“We are going to change the structure,” Hunt told Albert Breer of NFL Network. “Historically, the head coach has reported to the General Manager. I think that’s true going back to the early days of the franchise. And I’m changing it today. Going forward, the head coach will report directly to me. The G.M. will report to me as well.
“The goal, Hunt explained, is to make Kansas City more enticing to a talented coach. “I think it gives us the best chance of hiring the best candidate,” Hunt said. “You mentioned a while ago that some of the coaches want more control. I think that’s right, and if we find the right coach, I certainly want to have a structure that’s acceptable to him.”
Lost in this adjustment is the question of whether a new structure meshes with Pioli’s contract, which may or may not give him final say over the roster and which may or may not give him the power to hire and fire the coach. Though there’s no indication Pioli is pushing the issue, all sorts of things may or may not be happening behind the scenes.