Just over a decade ago, Andy Reid became the Chiefs head coach after 14 years with the Eagles.
And as Reid filled out his first Kansas City staff, he let go of a young, up-and-coming assistant: Nick Sirianni.
Sirianni had been with the Chiefs since 2009, starting as an offensive quality control coach. Then-head coach Romeo Crennel promoted him to receivers coach in 2012.
Now the two will meet on opposite sidelines as head coaches in Super Bowl LVII. While plenty of proverbial ink will surely be spent on Reid’s connection with the Eagles and Philadelphia over the next two weeks, Kansas City’s head coach was asked about what he remembers from deciding not to retain Sirianni back in January 2013.
“When I came here, I was told Nick Sirianni — this guy is really a special coach. Really, a good football coach,” Reid said in his video call with reporters. “But I had David [Culley]. David was my assistant head coach and he’d been with me for 14 years and so he was coming with me. And I had to make that determination to keep Nick or not.
“And I knew being as good as he was and the reputation he had, I knew he was going to get something. And so, it’s worked out great for him.”
Culley had been with Reid since he became Philadelphia’s head coach in 1999. Before he became the Texans head coach in 2021, Culley was with the Chiefs from 2013-2016 before Sean McDermott hired him to be the Bills QBs coach in 2017.
Sirianni ended up getting hired by the Chargers as their offensive quality control coach in 2013. He served as quarterbacks coach in 2014-2015 under then-offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Sirianni reunited with Reich as the Colts offensive coordinator from 2018-2020 before the Eagles hired him to be their head coach in 2021.