In his post-game press conference following Arizona's Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh, offensive coordinator Todd Haley said he hadn't even thought about the Chiefs' head coaching vacancy and had told his agent not to field calls leading up to the game.
Five days later, Haley had officially accepted the job to replace fired Herm Edwards.
Haley was the architect of the Cardinals' high-powered attack for the past two seasons, and should bring energy and innovation to an offense that has lacked both for far too long.
"I am extremely excited and proud to be a part of the Kansas City Chiefs family and the Kansas City community," Haley said. "I am looking forward to working with Scott to re-establish the winning tradition that the tremendous fans in Kansas City deserve."
Haley, 41, becomes the second youngest coach in franchise history, which seems appropriate as he takes over a very young roster.
New general manager Scott Pioli worked with Haley when the two were with the Jets from 1997-99.
"He will bring passion, dedication and energy to Kansas City, and I am confident that this is the beginning of a partnership that will serve the Chiefs well," said Pioli.
Haley is a 14-year veteran in the NFL. His Cardinals offense scored a franchise-record 427 points last season while finishing second in the league with 292.1 passing yards per game.
Haley should prove to be a far different personality than Edwards, who was considered a players' coach. Haley tends to coach with more fire, as evidenced by his sideline confrontation with Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin in the NFC Championship Game.
"It's part of how I coach," Haley said. "It's part of how I motivate, and I like to think I've had some success doing it. But obviously, you've got to keep things in check. It's something I'll turn to if I need to. But I'll do my best to keep from losing control."
