Dick Vermeil Played Matchmaker For Chiefs, Andy Reid
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
If the Kansas City Chiefs end up winning a championship under new head coach, Andy Reid, the organization may want to consider giving former head coach Dick Vermeil a ring.
According to the Kansas City Star, Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt called Vermeil to ask for advice on who to consider to replace outgoing coach, Romeo Crennel.
From the Star:
"“He wanted to know my opinions on the coaches available,” Vermeil said. “My opinion was that there are only three you should think about and they were Andy Reid, Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher. I told him there was no way he could take another chance. But Andy is the one I know the best personally.“So he contacted Andy Reid and Andy called me. I knew he was going to call. He said, ‘What do you know about Kansas City?’ I said, ‘Go.’ It’s a great place with great people. The Hunt family was outstanding to me. I just felt he would fit in the community and he’s an outstanding football coach. He needed a change, I felt. There were just so many problems he had with the Eagles the last few years, things that backfired, things that went wrong. There was just no way he could breathe without it being evaluated, positively or negatively.”"
It makes sense that Hunt would call Vermeil. He likely also talked to former coach Marty Schottenheimer as well. A smart businessman doesn’t make big decisions without seeking council from people that he trusts.
Vermeil is certainly a credible source. Few coaches have had as much NFL success as Vermeil. Dick took the Eagles to the Super Bowl and finally won a championship in St. Louis. He later came to the Chiefs where he managed to assemble one of the best offenses in NFL history; however, his defense ended up crushing the team’s championship chances.
One quote I found particularly interesting was “I told him there was no way he could take another chance.” Vermeil doesn’t clarify what he means by that but I am guessing he means “with a head coach.”
The last two coaches hired under Hunt were Todd Haley and Romeo Crennel. Haley was an unproven, first-time head coach and while Crennel was proven as a defensive coordinator, he was also a one-time failure as a head coach.
Vermeil, who admits in the Star article to being old school, likely saw Cowher, Gruden and Reid as the most proven and experienced coaches available.
I think Dick got this one right. There is no telling how the Chiefs will perform under Andy Reid but “Big Red” was far and away the most decorated coach available, considering Gruden and Cowher decided to continue to work in broadcasting.
Vermeil will visit Chiefs practice today as the team starts its three-day minicamp.
What do you think, Addicts? Are you glad Clark called Dick about Andy?