Herm Edwards, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs during the worst two-year span in team history, was fired yesterday.
According to a report on ESPN citing league sources, the team is negotiating with Mike Shanahan, the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach of the Broncos who was fired last month.
Edwards goes out with a three-year regular-season record of 15-33 and with one year remaining on a four-year, $12 million contract. As head coach of the New York Jets in 2001-05, he had a regular-season mark of 39-41 and was 2-3 in the playoffs.
Edwards had been waiting to learn his fate since president and general manager Carl Peterson resigned Dec. 15. When the team lured Scott Pioli away from the Patriots to become Peterson's successor Jan. 13, Pioli was noncommittal and said only he intended to speak with Edwards.
"This was not an easy decision. Herm is an outstanding football coach and a man of integrity. We appreciate his leadership over the past three seasons, and we wish him all the best in the future," Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said in a written statement.
Pioli said he has had several conversations with Edwards over the last week.
"After careful consideration, Clark and I felt that it was best to make a change," Pioli said.
Bob Moore, a spokesman for the team, said the Chiefs didn't have a timeline for replacing Edwards. He said all the assistant coaches are under contract.
Edwards expressed his gratitude to the Hunt family and said he respected "the tough decision that was made to move in a new direction."
"There is not a more gracious family in all of professional sports than the Hunts," Edwards said in a statement. "To the players and coaches who worked so hard for our team, I appreciate their efforts."
After Edwards and Peterson launched a full-fledged rebuilding project in 2008, youth and injury led to a 2-14 record and a distressful two-year tally of 6-26 that cost both men their jobs. Particularly embarrassing to Edwards was a defense that managed only 10 sacks this season, gave up a team-record 332 yards rushing in one game, and a team-record 54 points in another. When he took over, Edwards had promised to repair the weak defense that characterized the five-year Dick Vermeil regime.
Following a 10-year career as an NFL cornerback, Edwards had his first experience with Kansas City as a training camp assistant in 1989.
Seventeen years later, he had the distinction of being the first man to become head coach of the team that brought him into the NFL through the league's minority coaching fellowship program.
Boston Globe
According to a report on ESPN citing league sources, the team is negotiating with Mike Shanahan, the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach of the Broncos who was fired last month.
Edwards goes out with a three-year regular-season record of 15-33 and with one year remaining on a four-year, $12 million contract. As head coach of the New York Jets in 2001-05, he had a regular-season mark of 39-41 and was 2-3 in the playoffs.
Edwards had been waiting to learn his fate since president and general manager Carl Peterson resigned Dec. 15. When the team lured Scott Pioli away from the Patriots to become Peterson's successor Jan. 13, Pioli was noncommittal and said only he intended to speak with Edwards.
"This was not an easy decision. Herm is an outstanding football coach and a man of integrity. We appreciate his leadership over the past three seasons, and we wish him all the best in the future," Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said in a written statement.
Pioli said he has had several conversations with Edwards over the last week.
"After careful consideration, Clark and I felt that it was best to make a change," Pioli said.
Bob Moore, a spokesman for the team, said the Chiefs didn't have a timeline for replacing Edwards. He said all the assistant coaches are under contract.
Edwards expressed his gratitude to the Hunt family and said he respected "the tough decision that was made to move in a new direction."
"There is not a more gracious family in all of professional sports than the Hunts," Edwards said in a statement. "To the players and coaches who worked so hard for our team, I appreciate their efforts."
After Edwards and Peterson launched a full-fledged rebuilding project in 2008, youth and injury led to a 2-14 record and a distressful two-year tally of 6-26 that cost both men their jobs. Particularly embarrassing to Edwards was a defense that managed only 10 sacks this season, gave up a team-record 332 yards rushing in one game, and a team-record 54 points in another. When he took over, Edwards had promised to repair the weak defense that characterized the five-year Dick Vermeil regime.
Following a 10-year career as an NFL cornerback, Edwards had his first experience with Kansas City as a training camp assistant in 1989.
Seventeen years later, he had the distinction of being the first man to become head coach of the team that brought him into the NFL through the league's minority coaching fellowship program.
Boston Globe
