The Kansas City Chiefs have finalized their defensive coaching staff under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and it includes a few new faces.
The Kansas City Chiefs sound like they are through shuffling new faces in new places on the defensive side of the coaching staff if B.J. Kissel’s latest tweet is any indication of the final allocation of positions.
Kissel, the team’s official in-house reporter, sent a tweet on Tuesday that listed the new positions on the defensive side of the staff, a unit that includes a few new additions as well as some shuffling of longtime coaches for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs replaced longtime defensive coordinator Bob Sutton with Steve Spagnuolo as the biggest item of business so far this offseason for the Chiefs. Sutton was with the team for six years, coming over from the New York Jets as part of Andy Reid’s initial staff with the team. However abysmal results in overall defensive rankings for the last two years along with disastrous playoff showings cost Sutton his role.
Spagnuolo served with Andy Reid as an assistant coach on the defensive side for years with the Philadelphia Eagles. He returns to work under Reid again after serving as a head coach of the St. Louis Rams and winning a Super Bowl as defensive coordinator with the New York Giants. And now it’s clear he has finalized his staff.
The #Chiefs' defensive coaching staff:
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) February 19, 2019
Steve Spagnuolo – Defensive Coordinator
Brendan Daly – Run Game Coordinator/DL
Matt House – LBs
Dave Merritt – DBs
Sam Madison – DBs, CBs
Britt Reid – LBs, OLBs
Terry Bradden – DEF Quality Control
Alex Whittingham – DEF Assistant
Daly came over from the New England Patriots after serving in the same role, although the addition of run game coordinator might have helped sweeten the deal to join the Chiefs.
David Merritt served with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season and he takes over for the recently retired Emmitt Thomas. Sam Madison joins him as a former player turned coach who can help translate the schemes for players as he grows into a coaching role.
Matt House will work with Andy’s son, Britt, with the team’s linebackers. Britt Reid was the team’s assistant coach with defensive linemen, so he shifts units as he continues to learn and grow as a coach on his father’s staff. House recently came over after serving as defensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky.
Terry Bradden and Alex Whittingham have been with the Chiefs in assistant/QC roles already.