Mike Mularkey Linked To The KC Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are interested in speaking to Atlanta Falcons Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey about their head coaching vacancy, according to Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports.com
Mularkey is an interesting name. He’s been around the league for a while and was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2004-2005. He led the Bills to a 9-7 record in his first season but the team fell to 5-11 the following year. It should be mentioned that Mularkey was working with J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb at QB. Following the 2005 season, Mularkey resigned saying he did not agree with the direction the organization was moving. His first season as head coach was the last time the Bills have had a winning record.
Mularkey then spent some time with a team making more disastrous decisions in Miami (Nick Saban) before moving to Atlanta.
I think Scott Pioli will take a hard, hard look at Mularkey. I feel like he is a guy who has a lot of promise who kept getting mixed up with organizations making bone-headed decisions. After he left the Bills, they went straight into the crapper. While in Miami, he got caught up in the Saban business and then was demoted to TE coach after Cam Cameron came in and decided he wanted to call his own plays.
Even if Scott Pioli doesn’t want Mularkey as a head coach right now, he may want to lure him away from the Falcons to be KC’s offensive coordinator. If Pioli wants to keep Romeo around for a year or three to keep continuity and keep his defense on track, he may want an offensive coordinator he can promote to head coach once Romeo decides to hang them up. Until now, we’ve been speculating that Josh McDaniels might be that guy but Mularkey would be an even better choice in my opinion. He’s been with organizations Pioli admires in the Steelers and Falcons, and he is less of a lightening rod for controversy than Josh McDaniels.
If Pioli falls in love with Mularkey and wants to hire him now, he has to convince Crennel to stay on as defensive coordinator. The problem here, however, is that Mularkey would have to want to keep Crennel and Crennel would have to want to stay. We know Crennel wants to be a head coach again so he could be lured away by another team.
If Pioli could get Mularkey in as offensive coordinator and keep Crennel as head coach, I would be thrilled. I would see Crennel being head coach for three years tops. If he is successful, Mularkey, who is only 50 years old now, would be the perfect replacement.