Laddie Morse
Let’s be honest here, the reason for the Kansas City Chiefs success is mostly based upon their excellent quarterback Patrick Mahomes. I say “mostly” becasue there are times when our GM, Brett Veach shows his head for bringing certain other players in and then there are times when coaching appears to be the difference making machine. Today, let’s take another look at the Chiefs main coaches: DB Coach Dave Merritt, Special Teams Coach Dave Toub, Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy, Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck, and Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen. Of course there are many other excellent coaches on the Chiefs staff, but let’s take a look at these for now.
Let’s also not forget that it is Steve Spagnuolo and his defense who have dominated games so far this season. The recent goal line stand was amaze balls so we need to acknowledge them first and foremost.
.
Tyler McFarland – Photo Credit
.
Defensive Backs Coach Dave Merritt
Dave Merritt was a member of the New York Giants Secondary staff that helped them beat the Patriots following the 2007 season and the 2011 season. Beyond those wins, Merritt has been here with the Chiefs for their Super Bowl wins: LIV, LVII, and LVIII. Much of the credit for these three wins has gone to Dave Merritt and rightfully so. In Super Bowl LIV he was dealing with these players at Cornerback: Charvarius Ward, Bashaud Breeland, Rashad Fenton, Kendall Fuller. At Safety he had: Tyrann Mathieu, Daniel Sorenson, Juan Thornhill, and Armani Watts. That’s not a bad group until you realize only Tyrann Mathieu was an All Pro, but no one else even made the Pro Bowl.
Other positions Dave Merritt has had include:
.
• Outside LB Coach
• Defensive Ends Coach
• Defensive Line Coach
• Defensive Assistant and LB Coach
• Defensive Assistant and Quality Control Coach
• Defensive Assistant
• Secondary Coach & Safety Coach
• Defensive Backs
.
The group of CBs that Merritt has been dealing with this year are nearly the same bunch from last year and the year before, and both years, the Chiefs won the Lombardi. The only player not listed now that was on those teams, besides L’Jarius Sneed, is Ekow Boye-Doe, who is still a free agent and someone the team may choose to bring back at any time due to injuries. Merritt is an excellent example of a coach who has learned over the years.
.
Special Teams Coach Dave Toub
Toub may be best known for his tutoring of Devin Hester (who many consider to be the best returner of all time) while he was with the Chicago Bears from 2004 to 2012. Toub joined the Chiefs in 2013 when Andy Reid came aboard. Toub received the “Assistant Head Coaching” title as well as fulfilling the role of Special Teams Coordinator from 2018 to present. The title has always been assumed to to help him get a head coaching gig elsewhere.
Here’s how the Special Team’s unit has ranked the past five seasons:
.
Special Teams Rankings
All Rankings by Rick Gosselin
2019 6th
2020 20th
2021 4th
2022 32nd
2023 14th
.
.
Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy
Many Kingdom fans believe that Andy Reid still runs the offense and calls plays each week during games. The relationship between Andy Reid and — whoever — his offensive coordinator is… is seamless and while Reid may approve the first 15 plays, it’s the OC who puts them together… but he’s putting those plays together based on Reid’s playbook and THEN, Reid approves them. Here’s Peter King (who has retired now) interviewing OC Matt Nagy the day before the most recent Super Bowl. Enjoy (7:37):
.
.
Whole Nagy makes it sound like it’s Reid who calls the plays, I beleive it;s the OC who does the calling… but then… it’s as I’ve said, it’s Reid’s playbook and it’s Reid’s plays being called.
.
.
Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck
Andy Reid was an Offensive Line Coach at Northern Arizona (my Alma Matre), for UTEP, for Missouri, and for the Green Bay Packers. Is Andy Reid an Offensive leaning Head Coach? You bet he is… and it may all come down the the fact that he was once an Offensive Line Coach. Andy Heck may have the most intriguing history of all these coaches. He once played for Notre Dame in the 1980s and helped them win a National Championship. He played Tackle of course and was drafted 15th overall in the 1989 draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He also played for the Bears and the Washington Team before serving as a graduate assistant for Virginia before moving onto become an Offensive Line coach for the Jaguars. Heck became the OL Coach for the Chiefs when Reid make his move as the Chiefs HC position in 2013. So, Heck has been here for all of the Chiefs Super Bowl victories and he’s one of those coaches who is an educator.
Here, Andy Heck addresses the media and Jawaan Taylow needing a year to clean things up (1:22):
.
.
.
Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen
Cullen has previously served as the Defensive Line coach for the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. Chris Jones calls Cullen “My Man.” CJ has also recently said to our DL Coach, “Thank you to the one and only Joe Cullen.”
.
.
.
.
.
The Chiefs have so many excellent coaches there’s not time, or room, to mention them all.
What do you think?
.
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
.