New Teicher on the Coaching Situation

nychief · 12-30-2005, 10:46 PM

Would the Chiefs consider Saunders?
BY ADAM TEICHER
Knight Ridder Newspapers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As many as 10 NFL coaching positions will become vacant as soon as next week, so the chances are better than ever that Al Saunders will receive one of them.

But will it be with the Chiefs?

No one would talk about the possibility publicly, not with the job still being Dick Vermeil's at least through the weekend. It's likely that president/general manager Carl Peterson would grant Saunders, the Chiefs' offensive coordinator, an interview should Sunday's game against Cincinnati be Vermeil's last with Kansas City.

Saunders has never confirmed that the Chiefs promised him he would receive strong consideration as Vermeil's eventual replacement and declined to answer questions on the subject this week.

Sources have indicated, however, that the Chiefs did make that promise. Vermeil has campaigned for Saunders to be his successor for most of his time with the Chiefs.

If the Chiefs are interested in Saunders, they may have to move quickly. He may wind up talking to the Lions, who weeks ago fired Steve Mariucci.

Next week should bring vacancies in St. Louis, Oakland and Houston, among other places. Saunders has a history with each franchise. He was an assistant coach for the Rams for two seasons between coaching jobs with the Chiefs.

He once interviewed for head coaching jobs with Houston and Oakland - the Texans in 2001 and the Raiders two years ago.

"With the way the Chiefs have played offense, he'd be a guy you'd have to consider, that some team would have to consider," ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth said. "There's going to be a lot of opportunity out there."

Saunders' age - he will be 59 in February - may wind up working against him.

"He's a guy that's been around for a long time, and it seems like the trend has been to go younger and with defensive coordinators," Schlereth said. "That's guys like Marvin Lewis and guys like Lovie Smith. They've had success."

With the Chiefs still struggling on defense even after the return of coordinator Gunther Cunningham, Peterson may be thinking the Chiefs need a coach with a defensive philosophy.

"If I were the Chiefs, I'd start looking to defense," Schlereth said. "Gunther Cunningham has been great, but the Chiefs' defense has just been bad. I would want to get myself a young, energetic coach who can handle the grind and is excited about the grind and brings a defensive philosophy to my football team."

Either way, it would appear that Saunders' run as Chiefs offensive coordinator is over. If the team did decide to take a pass on him as head coach or go with someone more defensive-minded, it seems likely that Saunders would pursue his options elsewhere.

Saunders was head coach for the San Diego Chargers from 1986 through 1988, going 17-22. The situation was, by most accounts, a difficult one. The aging Chargers had drafted and traded poorly for years, leaving a mess for Saunders.

Since then, he polished his resume as one of the NFL's most creative offensive minds. He coached wide receivers with the Chiefs and Rams and helped St. Louis win the world championship after the 1999 season.

The Chiefs have been one of the league's highest-scoring teams since he returned as offensive coordinator in 2001.

He interviewed with the Raiders and the University of Nebraska two years ago and probably could have had either job. He declined, perhaps with the idea he would someday

12-30-2005, 10:46 PM	Topic Starter
nychief MVP Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NYC Casino cash: $6909466	New Teicher on the Coaching Situation Would the Chiefs consider Saunders? BY ADAM TEICHER Knight Ridder Newspapers KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As many as 10 NFL coaching positions will become vacant as soon as next week, so the chances are better than ever that Al Saunders will receive one of them. But will it be with the Chiefs? No one would talk about the possibility publicly, not with the job still being Dick Vermeil's at least through the weekend. It's likely that president/general manager Carl Peterson would grant Saunders, the Chiefs' offensive coordinator, an interview should Sunday's game against Cincinnati be Vermeil's last with Kansas City. Saunders has never confirmed that the Chiefs promised him he would receive strong consideration as Vermeil's eventual replacement and declined to answer questions on the subject this week. Sources have indicated, however, that the Chiefs did make that promise. Vermeil has campaigned for Saunders to be his successor for most of his time with the Chiefs. If the Chiefs are interested in Saunders, they may have to move quickly. He may wind up talking to the Lions, who weeks ago fired Steve Mariucci. Next week should bring vacancies in St. Louis, Oakland and Houston, among other places. Saunders has a history with each franchise. He was an assistant coach for the Rams for two seasons between coaching jobs with the Chiefs. He once interviewed for head coaching jobs with Houston and Oakland - the Texans in 2001 and the Raiders two years ago. "With the way the Chiefs have played offense, he'd be a guy you'd have to consider, that some team would have to consider," ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth said. "There's going to be a lot of opportunity out there." Saunders' age - he will be 59 in February - may wind up working against him. "He's a guy that's been around for a long time, and it seems like the trend has been to go younger and with defensive coordinators," Schlereth said. "That's guys like Marvin Lewis and guys like Lovie Smith. They've had success." With the Chiefs still struggling on defense even after the return of coordinator Gunther Cunningham, Peterson may be thinking the Chiefs need a coach with a defensive philosophy. "If I were the Chiefs, I'd start looking to defense," Schlereth said. "Gunther Cunningham has been great, but the Chiefs' defense has just been bad. I would want to get myself a young, energetic coach who can handle the grind and is excited about the grind and brings a defensive philosophy to my football team." Either way, it would appear that Saunders' run as Chiefs offensive coordinator is over. If the team did decide to take a pass on him as head coach or go with someone more defensive-minded, it seems likely that Saunders would pursue his options elsewhere. Saunders was head coach for the San Diego Chargers from 1986 through 1988, going 17-22. The situation was, by most accounts, a difficult one. The aging Chargers had drafted and traded poorly for years, leaving a mess for Saunders. Since then, he polished his resume as one of the NFL's most creative offensive minds. He coached wide receivers with the Chiefs and Rams and helped St. Louis win the world championship after the 1999 season. The Chiefs have been one of the league's highest-scoring teams since he returned as offensive coordinator in 2001. He interviewed with the Raiders and the University of Nebraska two years ago and probably could have had either job. He declined, perhaps with the idea he would someday
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