I'm sure all of you have been sitting there with bated breath for my analysis of the Chiefs early round draft picks, so here they are:
1st pick: Eric Fisher: Awesome. Going to be making more pancakes than 'Hungry Jack'.
63rd pick: Travis Kelce: Rob Gronkowski part deux. Unstoppable. Who cares if we already have "Trauma ward" Moeaki. Double TE sets are the rage.
96th pick: Knile Davis: Bryce Brown part deux. Stop the fumbles = Superstar. As Andy Reid put it: "He's just good is all I can say".
Just an FYI for all of you readers who are smart-asses who are going to want to rip into my stellar analysis, click here first before you type something smart-assy.
- ACF
Friday, April 26, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Chiefs Announce Coaching Hires
CHIEFS
NAME DOUG PEDERSON OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
KANSAS
CITY, Mo. – The
Kansas City Chiefs announced on Friday that the club has named former NFL
quarterback and Eagles Quarterbacks Coach Doug Pederson the team’s offensive
coordinator.
“Doug has been
around the game a long time, and he has great vision,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy
Reid said. “As a former player in this league, he sees the game from a different
perspective, and that will be a great benefit for our players. He has a knack
for developing talent, and he’s a good communicator. Doug is ready for this
position.”
Pederson joins the
Chiefs as the club’s offensive coordinator after four seasons with Philadelphia.
He served as the club’s quarterbacks coach from 2011-12 and was the Eagles
offensive quality control coach from 2009-10. While tutoring the Eagles signal
callers in 2011, the Eagles offense set franchise records with 6,386 yards and
356 first downs. In 2010, Pederson was part of a record-setting offensive output
as the team set franchise records in points scored (439), total net yards
(6,230), and yards per rushing attempt (5.4). Prior to his stint with the
Eagles, he served as head coach for Calvary Baptist Academy (2005-08).
A 12-year NFL
veteran, Pederson played quarterback for the Miami Dolphins (1993-94), served
two stints with the Green Bay Packers (1995-98 and 2001-04), played for the
Philadelphia Eagles (1999) and Cleveland Browns (2000). His best season came
with the Eagles in 1999 under then-Head Coach Andy Reid. During his playing
career, Pederson backed up Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb. Born in
Bellingham, Wash., Pederson attended Northeast Louisiana where he played
quarterback (1987-90). He and his wife, Jeannie, have three sons, Drew, Josh and
Joel.
CHIEFS
NAME BOB SUTTON DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
The
Kansas City Chiefs announced on Friday that the club has named former Jets
assistant coach Bob Sutton the team’s defensive
coordinator.
“Bob is a creative
coach that is going to give our defense a variety of looks and packages,” Reid
said. “He has a lot of experience and is well respected across the league. Bob
has a high football IQ and knows how to get the most out of his
players.”
Entering his
14th NFL season, Sutton joins the Chiefs after spending his first 13
seasons with the New York Jets in various roles. Most recently, he served as the
Jets Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach in 2012. From 2009-11 he was the
club’s senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach. Sutton was the club’s
defensive coordinator from 2006-08 and originally joined the Jets as the
linebackers coach (2000-05).
As a defensive
coordinator with the New York Jets, Sutton’s 2008 unit was ranked near the top
of the NFL in rushing defense (94.9) and yards per rush allowed (3.7), the Jets
best statistical showing since 1993. The Jets recorded a franchise-record five
defensive touchdowns. His defense registered 41 sacks and 30 takeaways.
In 2005 as the
club’s linebackers coach, LB Jonathan Vilma earned his first Pro Bowl appearance
after he finished with an NFL-leading 187 tackles. Vilma was voted AP’s NFL
Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and the Jets finished the season fourth in
the NFL in fewest points allowed with 261 and fifth against the run, holding
opponents to 97.9 rushing yards per game.
Prior to his time
with the Jets, Sutton spent nine years as the head coach at Army (1991-99) and
achieved remarkable success, including guiding the Cadets to just their fourth
bowl appearance. Nine seasons placed him second in tenure at Army, trailing only
the legendary Earl “Red” Blaik, who guided the Cadets for 18 seasons. He was
named the head coach at Army after spending eight season’s as one of the
school’s assistant coaches (1983-90).
Before his stint at
Army, he served as the running backs coach at North Carolina State under Monte
Kiffin in 1982, two tours at Western Michigan (1980-81 and 1975-76), serving
first as defensive coordinator and later as offensive coordinator. He also
served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Illinois
(1977-79).
In 1974, he earned
his first full-time coaching spot as the linebackers coach at Syracuse. His
initial opportunity came as a graduate assistant at Michigan (1972-73) for Bo
Schembechler. He earned a degree in physical education at Eastern
Michigan.
Sutton and his wife,
Debbie, have two children, son Andrew and daughter Sarah. They also have a
granddaughter, Molly.
CHIEFS
ANNOUNCE COACHING STAFF HIRES
The Kansas City
Chiefs announced on Friday several coaching staff hires for the 2013 season.
Newcomers to the staff include:
Eric Bieniemy
(Running Backs), Tommy Brasher (Defensive Line), Travis Crittenden (Assistant
Strength and Conditioning), David Culley (Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers),
Mike Frazier (Statistical Analysis Coordinator), Corey Matthaei (Quality
Control), Tom Melvin (Tight Ends), Matt Nagy (Quarterbacks), Britt Reid (Quality
Control) and Barry Rubin (Head Strength and Conditioning).
“I’m pleased we were
able to get all of these coaches on board,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “I
have relationships with each of them, and I know their past experiences, work
ethics and coaching styles. These are high-character coaches, and each one
brings something different to the table for us.”
NEWCOMERS
Eric Bieniemy
(Running Backs) – Bieniemy enters his
first season with the Chiefs as the team’s running backs coach after a two-year
stint at the University of Colorado where he served as the offensive
coordinator/running backs coach. Prior to returning to his alma mater in 2011,
he spent five seasons (2006-10) in Minnesota coaching the Vikings running backs.
He was part of a Vikings team that won consecutive NFC North Division titles in
2008-09. In those five seasons, the Vikings produced a 1,000-yard rusher each
year while his stable of running backs broke the 100-yard mark 31 times in 80
regular season games. Prior to coaching in Minnesota, he coached at UCLA
(2003-05), Colorado (2001-02) and Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, Colo.
(2000).
Bieniemy was an
All-American tailback for the Buffaloes (1987-90). He originally entered the NFL
as the San Diego Chargers second-round pick in the 1991 NFL draft. He enjoyed a
nine-year pro career with three teams: San Diego (1991-94), Cincinnati (1995-98)
and Philadelphia (1999) under Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid.
Tommy Brasher
(Defensive Line) – Beginning his
25th year as an NFL coach, Brasher was named Kansas City’s defensive
line coach after three separate tours of duty in Philadelphia, all as the club’s
defensive line coach. He rejoined the Eagles’ coaching staff as defensive line
coach on Dec. 3, 2012 for his ninth year with the team. Prior to rejoining the
Eagles, he spent seven years tutoring the defensive linemen in Philadelphia
(1999-05). He held the same role with the Eagles during the 1985 season on
then-Head Coach Marion Campbell’s staff. In his inaugural year with Philadelphia
in 1985, DEs Greg Brown and rookie Reggie White each recorded 13.0 sacks apiece.
Prior to joining the
Eagles in 1999, Brasher served as the defensive line coach in Seattle (1992-98),
Tampa Bay (1990) and Atlanta (1986-89). His first NFL coaching experience came
with New England as he coached the defensive line for three seasons (1982-84).
Prior to becoming an NFL coach, Brasher coached the defensive line at Southern
Methodist University (1977-81) and was defensive coordinator at Northeast
Louisiana (1974, 1976) and the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League
(1975). He coached the defensive line and linebackers at Virginia Tech (1971)
and served as a defensive assistant for his alma mater, Arkansas, in 1970.
Brasher was an all-conference selection as a linebacker at Arkansas (1962-63),
where he was a teammate of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and former Dolphins and
Cowboys Head Coach Jimmy Johnson.
Travis Crittenden
(Assistant Strength & Conditioning) – Crittenden enters
his first season with the Chiefs after spending the 2012 season as a strength
and conditioning assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles. Prior to entering the
NFL, he served as the director of football operations and general manager of
Competitive Edge Sports in Atlanta, Ga., for eight years (2004-11) where he led
professional athletes through offseason training and also prepared collegiate
football players for the NFL Combine and pro days. He also was an advisor at
Speedworx Sports and a director of sports performance at 360 Football Academy.
A Wichita Falls, Texas, native, he played football at Fork Union Military
Academy (1999-00) before finishing his collegiate career at Virginia Military
Institute (2000-03).
David Culley
(Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers) – Entering his
20th season coaching in the NFL, Culley embarks on his first season
as the Chiefs assistant head coach/wide receivers coach after coaching 14
campaigns in Philadelphia as wide receivers coach (1999-10) and senior offensive
assistant/wide receivers coach (2011-12) for Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid. Culley
originally joined the Eagles after a three-year stint as the Pittsburgh Steelers
wide receivers coach (1996-98). His initial NFL coaching experience came with a
two-year stay as the wide receivers coach for Tampa Bay (1994-95). A native of
Sparta, Tenn., Culley was recruited by Bill Parcells as a quarterback at
Vanderbilt University. He then broke into the coaching ranks overseeing the
running backs at Austin Peay University (1978). Culley then returned to
Vanderbilt to coach the wide receivers (1979-81). He had a series of one-year
stops at Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee-Chattanooga, and Western Kentucky
before spending four years as quarterbacks coach at Southwestern Louisiana.
Culley jumped to the University of Texas-El Paso for a two-year stint as the
offensive coordinator/running backs/wide receivers coach (1989-90) before
joining the staff at Texas A&M to coach the wide receivers (1991-93). He
graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in health and physical
education.
Mike Frazier
(Statistical Analysis Coordinator) – Frazier enters his
first season with the Chiefs as the statistical analysis coordinator after a
nine-year stint in the same capacity for the Philadelphia Eagles. Frazier
attended Wooster College (1999-03) and was hired by the Eagles upon graduation
after completing internships with Smith Barney and Wachovia Securities as an
undergrad.
Corey Matthaei
(Quality Control) – Matthaei joins the
Chiefs as one of the club’s quality control coaches. He most recently served
three seasons under Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles as
the assistant to the head coach from 2010-12. From 2008-09, Matthaei was a
coaching assistant for the Eagles and spent 2006-07 as the club’s football
operations assistant for training camp. Prior to joining Philadelphia, Matthaei
played on the offensive line at Willamette University in Salem, Ore. (2003-06).
After graduation, he served as Willamette’s offensive assistant in
2007.
Tom Melvin (Tight
Ends) – Melvin
becomes the Chiefs tight ends coach after coaching 14 seasons with the
Philadelphia Eagles. In his final 11 seasons with Philadelphia, Melvin coached
the team’s tight ends (2002-12) after serving as the team’s offensive
assistant/quality control coach for his first three years. Under Melvin’s
tutelage, Eagles TE Brent Celek emerged as one of the top tight ends in the NFL,
catching 280 passes for 3,473 yards and 20 TDs in six years playing for Melvin
and the Eagles. Melvin played on the offensive line at San Francisco State
(1982-83) for Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid for one season (1983) while Reid
served as offensive line coach for San Francisco State. Prior to joining the
Eagles in 1999, Melvin was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at
Occidental College (1991-98) and served as offensive coordinator and offensive
line coach at the University of California – Santa Barbara (1988-90). He oversaw
the running backs, offensive line and tight ends at Northern Arizona (1986-87)
after he began his coaching career at his alma mater, San Francisco State
(1984-85), as a graduate assistant.
Matt Nagy
(Quarterbacks) – Entering
his third season in the NFL, Nagy was hired as Kansas City’s quarterbacks coach
after serving the previous two seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles offensive
quality control coach. Before being promoted to Philadelphia’s offensive quality
control coach in 2011, Nagy served as a coaching assistant during the 2010
season after spending the 2008 and 2009 training camps as a coaching intern for
the Eagles. A former quarterback for the Arena Football League, Nagy played six
seasons for the New York Dragons (2002), Carolina Cobras (2004), Georgia Force
(2005-06) and Columbus Destroyers (2007-08). During his AFL career, Nagy
completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 18,866 yards, 374 touchdowns and a
quarterback rating of 115.1. He played collegiately at Delaware, setting more
than 20 career passing records at the time, still holding career marks for
passing yards (8,214) and touchdowns (58). He ranks second for most career
attempts (895) and most career completions (502) behind former Delaware and
current Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco. Nagy earned All-America honors as a
senior for the Blue Hens.
Britt Reid (Quality
Control) – Reid enters his
first season in the NFL after spending three seasons with the Temple University
Owls. At Temple, Reid served as a graduate assistant, working with the offensive
side of the ball after a two-year stint as an offensive assistant while he
completed his degree. In addition to his three years at Temple, Reid has worked
the Steve Addazio football camp for the past two years and in 2008, he served as
an assistant offensive line coach at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. He got
his first taste of NFL experience as a training camp coordinator for the
Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. Reid is the son of Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid.
Barry Rubin (Head
Strength & Conditioning) – Rubin enters his
first season with the Chiefs after serving the previous three seasons in the
same capacity in Philadelphia (2010-12). Prior to being promoted to the Eagles
head strength and conditioning coach position in 2010, he was an assistant for
two years (2008-09). Before his move to Philadelphia, he spent seven years as
the head strength and conditioning coach (1999-2005) and four years as an
assistant (1995-98) for the Green Bay Packers.
During his tenure in Green Bay, the Packers earned six division titles,
two NFC championship titles and one Super Bowl victory under Head Coach Mike
Holmgren. He also served as the strength coach at Northeast Louisiana (1982-83,
1987-90 and 1994) and LSU (1984-85). Rubin was inducted into the USA
Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003. He was a tight end and
punter at Northwestern (La.) State from 1978-80 after playing running back and
punter at LSU from 1976-77.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Andy Reid: New Chiefs Head Coach
CHIEFS
HEAD COACH ANDY REID
INTRODUCTORY
PRESS CONFERENCE
January
7, 2013
CHAIRMAN AND CEO CLARK
HUNT
Opening Statement: “This is a very exciting day for me and my family
and everyone affiliated with the Chiefs organization. A week ago today, when I
began the search for our next head coach, I outlined a specific set of criteria
that I believe best described the ideal candidate for our job. I knew that I
wanted a proved leader who has built a successful program; I knew I was looking
for an effective communicator, teacher and someone with a high football I.Q.
and a strong work ethic. Finally – most importantly – I wanted a man of
integrity, who would hold himself and those around him accountable to get the
job done. What I didn’t know when I laid out those criteria last week was that
I was effectively describing Andy Reid. Naturally, I was pleased to find
someone who matched what I was looking for. I was even more excited once I
spent time with Andy and got to know him as a person. He is warm and engaging,
down to earth and we hit it off right away. It was fun to talk football with
him; he is intelligent, receptive and you can tell that he has been around the
game a long time. He is also humble, honest and appreciative of the opportunity
to be a head coach in the National Football League. Andy is a proven winner who
built an outstanding program in Philadelphia over the last 14 years. During his
tenure with the Eagles, his teams qualified for the playoffs nine times and his
teams went to the NFC Championship game five times. Andy led the Eagles to six
NFC East division titles and the 2004 NFC Championship. He is fifth in career victories
among active coaches and has been named NFL Coach of the Year three times
during his career. As a teacher and communicator, he has demonstrated a unique
ability to motivate his players. His knowledge of the game and humble,
hardworking approach to his craft has made him one of the most respected voices
in the National Football League.
“In addition to his abilities as a coach, Andy is a man of
integrity who cares deeply about his family and the people that he works with.
He is well respected around the league for his character, humility and the
genuine compassion that he demonstrates for his coaches, players, colleagues
and most of all, his family. We are excited today because we are not only
welcoming Andy to the Chiefs family but also his lovely wife Tammy. Spending
time with Tammy over the last few days, it is already apparent that she will be
an outstanding addition to our Chiefs family and an engaged member of the
Kansas City community. We are so glad to have her here in Kansas City, and we
appreciate her sharing Andy with us.
“I am very excited to begin this new chapter in Chiefs
history today by welcoming the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Andy
Reid.”
HEAD COACH ANDY REID
Opening Statement: “I am very excited to be a Kansas City Chief. I had
a small stint in Columbia, Mo., at the University of Missouri as a football
coach and the offensive line coach. My family and myself, we loved every moment
of that opportunity. When Clark called – I have been in this league a long time
– and there are certain families that stand out. The Hunt family is just top;
they are phenomenal, phenomenal people. When Clark is the CEO and Chairman of
the Kansas City Chiefs, when he called, he immediately had my attention. I
completely understand his values and the organizational values which he
possesses. The fan base here is phenomenal; I came from a fan base that was
tremendous. The Kansas City Chiefs fan base – there is nothing like the sea of
red. I had an opportunity to play here and play against the Chiefs, and it is
tough. I can’t wait to invite other teams in to be challenged by the Chiefs
kingdom; it is a great environment. With that, with the great job they have
done taking Arrowhead Stadium and turning it into this monster with all the
great additions that have been added to it and with all of the community
support, as a head coach, you just can’t ask for more.”
How did Clark Hunt sweep you off your feet when you decided
to come to Kansas City? “Clark and members of this organization paid me a visit. What I thought
would be a three hour meeting turned out to be a nine hour meeting and it
probably could have gone on a lot longer than that. There was a certain energy
that started with Clark and radiated with the people that I had a chance to
meet with. As we talked, you got this feeling that this is the right thing to
do. It made the decision easy. I crossed my fingers hoping that I would be
offered the job, and I was.”
How do you get back to the level you were at from 2000-05 as
opposed to the last few years? “The last couple of years weren’t good enough. I look at
the whole picture of those 14 years, and I take responsibility for each one of
them. I understand the energy that I have and that I can bring to the
organization. We will start from the bottom, and we will start working. I’ll
make sure that I bring a good staff, and we will get down to it. My job is to
be the head football coach, and that is what we are going to do. We are going
to coach hard and make sure that we build a foundation.”
What do you think about this roster? “I have looked at the roster and
there are some good football players on this team. I look to add to that, I
think that’s important. We can all get better – me included. The quarterback
position, I will dig in and look at that and we will build it. We will see how
that works out, we need to spend some time on that – I need to find the next
Len Dawson. It might be right here, it might not. I have to dig in, and I need
a little time on that.”
How long do you think it will take you to settle in and
start player evaluations? “We have to go through that process and we will dig in.
When Clark hires a general manager, we’ll get to that part. We will make sure
that the coaches and the General Manager will get in and analyze the team. The
coaches that were here left evaluations of the team and those will obviously be
taken into consideration. It’s a process, and it will take a little bit of time
to get in there and make sure we do it the right way.”
Was there any thought in your mind of taking a year off? “I’m ready to go now. This is what
I do, so I’m ready to go. I never took that into consideration.”
Do you have any regrets about your time in Philadelphia? “I don’t. I can leave Philadelphia
saying that I gave it my all. I can leave Philadelphia with some great years. I
was there a long time as were some of my staff members. We were blessed to be
there and sometimes change is good; change will be tremendous for the
Philadelphia Eagles and on the other hand, it will be terrific for the Kansas
City Chiefs.”
What is the feature
that you look for in a quarterback? “There are a lot of things and they are all different. You
have got to be able to win football games, and that is what it comes down to.
You can evaluate a lot of different things, but ultimately, what it comes down
to is you have to be able to win football games. That’s how you go about your
evaluation.”
What similarities do you see between
your situation in Philadelphia and the one you have here? “With the exception of the expansion of the Cleveland Browns at that
time; we were the lowest team with the worst records in the league. That’s the same thing that we are right
now. That would be the similarity
there. I would tell you that there are
some good football players on this team and it is important to continue to
build on that. Every team goes through a
bit of a transition. Teams get old and then they have to start over and
continue to build from the ground up.
That’s what Scott and Clark have committed to so we will continue to do
that.”
Will you have any input in the decision of the new GM. And what part of your staff do you already
have built or will you consider keeping any of the current guys?“As far as the coaches go, I have gone through and met with all of the
guys and I will make that evaluation as we go.
I had a great visit with them, and they are some great guys. Romeo [Crennel] and I are friends, and I have
a lot of respect for him. He built a good staff. As far as the general manager goes, I'm
leaving that up to Clark. I will sit in
on the interviews with him, but the final decision is his.”
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.”
Do you have any sense if you’ll go with the 4-3, 3-4, and after meeting
with Scott did you decide that you didn’t want to work with him, how did that
work? “Scott and I are friends,
but that was taken care of before me and worked out between Scott and
Clark. In regards to the 4-3, 3-4, I’M
evaluating that right now. I understand
the values in both. I’ve been a 4-3 guy, and I’ve played against a 3-4 so I got
it and understand it. There has been an
effort to bring in players that work in the 3-4, so I will look at that first
and go from there.”
Clark, you said that you are restructuring the organization. Could you clarify that and how you envision
your role now and does that mean you’ll be spending more time at the
facilities?“We have restructured the
organization. Historically the head
coach has answered to the general manager and the general manager answered to
the CEO. Beginning with Andy joining the
organization, the coach will report directly to me and the general manager will
report directly to me. It will change my day-to-day interaction, I will have a
lot more interaction with the head coach than I have in the past. Most of my interaction has been with the
general manager from a football standpoint. I spend quite a bit of time here,
and I’m not sure if it will go up or down.
Whether I’m here or not it’s easy to be in contact with Andy on a daily
basis in today’s technology world.”
This past year the fans had a difficult time, are you hoping they come
back and what reassurance can you give them? “Absolutely. My job, and the reason I was hired is to produce a productive
football team, one that can challenge these other great teams in the National
Football League and win games. That’s what I’m going to start to do. I welcome them all back. I’m welcoming the
other teams back. I want them to see the sea of red. I want them to see what I
saw when I came here to play, a very energetic and aggressive crowd. I love
that. My job is to get a good product
for them, and I’m going to work my tail off to put that together.”
Who will make the final decision on player personnel? “That would be the general manager, and really the general manager will
pass that through Clark.”
As you put your staff together is it important that coordinators have
head coaching experience?“No,
that’s not important at all. I want to try and get the best guy in that I
possibly can on offense and defense, that’s the way I would like to approach
it.”
What was said in the conversations between you and Dick Vermeil? “Dick is a very close friend; he has called me once a week since I’ve
been in the National Football League. He
considers the Hunt family at the top of the list. He has said nothing but good things about the
Hunts and the city of Kansas City and the organization.”
How are you going to handle the quarterback situation? “I’m going to study the heck out of the guys that are here and have a
chance to meet those guys. Then I’ll have a chance to evaluate that at that
point. We have some guys to be in a
solid position. It might not happen this year, you never know. The important thing is you do the right
thing. We have been blessed with the No.
1 pick in the draft, and you want to make sure you do the right thing and pick
the right guy, not necessarily a quarterback, it has to be the right thing. You
don’t want to force anything. People that do that get themselves in trouble.”
CHAIRMAN AND CEO CLARK
HUNT
How many interviews were scheduled? “We had more interviews scheduled
after Coach Reid, but we made the decision that we didn’t need to pursue those.
Andy also had some interviews, but on Wednesday, we had a pretty good feeling
on the direction which we were headed. By no means was it a done deal at that
point; Andy mentioned to me that he wanted to bring Tammy to Kansas City for a
chance to see the city. He wanted to see the facilities and we did that on
Friday. By the end of the day it was apparent that it was a perfect match and
we were able to get the deal done.”
What was the interview structure like? “We decided to have a fairly large
interview team in large part because I wanted the candidates to get a good feel
for the organization. In today’s NFL, the business side and the football side
need to work closely together, and that has never been more true than it is
today. I felt it was important for Andy to have a chance to speak with some
people on the business side of the organization as well as the football side.”
Was there a moment that you realized something needed to be
done with the organization? “It was a very hard year on all of us – my family, the
fans, and the organization – both on and off the field. I don’t want to say
that there was any one moment where I realized that I had to do something about
it, but when you are not successful in the National Football League, it is a
certainty that change is coming. I’m glad that 2012 is in the rearview mirror
at this point and that we are off to 2013. In Andy, we already have our first
victory.”
Do you have a
timetable to find a general manager? “We have already started that process and we have a list of
candidates. We don’t have a timeline per say, but I do hope that we can have
this wrapped up as soon as we can. One of the advantages of having Andy on
board as quickly as he is, is that it will help us from the standpoint of
attracting assistant coaches. I think the same thing can be said on the GM
front; the GM that we hire will know where we are from a head coaching
standpoint. The sooner the better, but I cannot give a timeframe.”
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