Covitz: Haley thinking about Super Bowl, not speculation concerning Chiefs’ job

[Tribal Warfare]

Haley thinking about Super Bowl, not speculation concerning Chiefs’ job
By RANDY COVITZ | THE KANSAS CITY STAR

TAMPA, Fla. | The situation was clearly awkward for Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

With the biggest game of his life five days away, the timing couldn’t be worse for Haley to address the head coaching vacancy with the Chiefs.

Sitting in the searing heat Tuesday morning at Raymond James Stadium during Super Bowl media day, Haley acknowledged his history with new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and wished him well.

Though Haley, who turns 42 next month, never envisioned this opportunity would arise so soon, he conceded the chance to coach in Kansas City might be too difficult to pass up.

“I don’t know if you can say everybody wants to be a head coach,” said Haley, who began his career in the New York Jets’ personnel department. “I didn’t get in this business to be a head coach. As you move further along, and you move up the ladder, it’s something you start to think about.

“ ‘Could I do this job, could I not do this job?’ I have great confidence in my ability, and if the right situation presents itself, I think I’d like to show that.”

Haley is not oblivious to the fact Kansas City could be the right situation.

“That would make me feel good, but that’s pure speculation, and something I’m not thinking about, and that’s coming from my heart,” he said. “We worked too hard to get to this game, and I am truly excited and blessed that the Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl, which is a monumental thing.”

Haley, a college golfer and former golf coach at Jacksonville (Fla.) University, began his football career working with Pioli for three years in the New York Jets’ personnel department during 1995-98. Pioli moved on to New England with Bill Belichick in 2000, and Haley remained an admirer of their work as the Patriots won three Super Bowls during 2001-04 and went unbeaten in the 2007 regular season.

“Scott is great at what he does,” Haley said. “What he and coach Belichick have done in New England is awesome. They have the blueprint on how to work together to succeed, so I’m really happy for Scott. He’s been an anonymous, low-key guy who has done a great job in New England … he has a great opportunity, and I’d like to see him succeed.”

•••

Two men have had profound influences on Todd Haley’s career. One is his father, Dick, a former Pittsburgh cornerback who served as the Steelers’ director of player personnel during 1971-90 and helped build the four-time Super Bowl champions of the ’70s.

The other is Bill Parcells, for whom he worked with the Jets in the late 1990s and at Dallas during 2004-06. Parcells is Pioli’s father-in-law, and as executive vice-president/football for the Miami Dolphins, oversees Dick Haley, now a personnel man in the Dolphins’ front office.

Todd Haley spent his summers at the Steelers’ training camp and his Sundays at Three Rivers Stadium as a ball boy, towel boy and whatever was needed.

“Just to be around the Bradshaws and Lamberts and Swanns on a daily basis,” Haley reflected, “I was just a kid enjoying the ride, and I thought Super Bowls came around every year. I have such a great appreciation for where I am now because it’s been 30 years since my father’s last Super Bowl, and he’s worked hard for many, many years.”

Young Todd Haley traveled with his dad to the Senior Bowl and Hula Bowl and watched how Dick Haley evaluated talent and assembled the Pittsburgh teams that won four Super Bowls in the 1970s.

That’s what makes coaching against the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday night so special to Haley.

“I had a chance to work for coach (Bill) Cowher four or five years ago,” Haley said, “but chose to go back with coach Parcells in Dallas and proceeded to watch the Steelers blow it up, going 15-1 (in 2004) and when they went to the Super Bowl (in 2005), they started showing all the old highlights.

“I’d watch the years when I was growing up, and you get teary-eyed about it. I thought, ‘I could have been there,’ but it’s all worked out, and the fact it is the Steelers this week is just unbelievable. So many of my close friends are back in Pittsburgh and are huge Steelers fans and are at the tailgates every week.”

Haley’s father moved on to the Jets’ personnel department in 1991, where Todd began learning the family business. But the coaching bug bit, and he took a substantial pay cut and became an entry-level Jets receivers coach for Parcells in 1999. That was followed by a stint with the Chicago Bears during 2001-03 before he joined Parcells’ staff for 2004-06.

“Parcells’ impact was big,” Haley said. “It’s no accident that he’s had success everywhere he goes. I’m so grateful to have been able to spend seven, eight years around him to soak in as much as you can. He’s a master motivator, and whatever he would be doing, he would be highly successful, whether it be football or business.”

In fact, some of Haley’s sideline demeanor, caught on camera in heated discussions with Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Anquan Boldin during the NFC championship game, resembles a young Parcells.

“It’s my personality,” said Haley, who joined the Cardinals as coordinator in 2007. “I’m more to the confrontational side. I can’t hold things in. It’s something you’ve got to balance as a coach all the time. You can’t do whatever you want and say whatever you want. You have to keep some semblance of control. I try to use it to my advantage as best I can, and the guys know how I am and how I go about it, so it’s not a surprise to anybody.”

Having coached divas such as Terrell Owens and Keyshawn Johnson as well as Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald has prepared Haley for anything.

“I’m grateful I coached receivers as long as I did,” Haley said. “They’re a unique group generally, a little high-profile for the most part. If you can handle that group, and over time I have proven to have pretty successful groups, it (says) a lot about my development as a coach.”

•••

Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt says Haley is ready to become a head coach. So do others, such as Warner and Fitzgerald.

Haley would be following Whisenhunt’s path. Whisenhunt went from offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh to head coach in Arizona, where in two years he has led the longtime laughingstock of the NFL into the Super Bowl. Haley has been part of that, running the NFL’s fourth-ranked offense.

“With the success a lot of young coaches have had in the league right now, there’s not any question,” Whisenhunt said of Haley’s readiness for the job. “Todd’s done a great job as a play-caller and coordinator, and a lot of those things he has learned in that role are the very same things I learned in my role at Pittsburgh.

“A lot of the things we’ve done and have had success with will serve Todd very well in the future.”

Warner, about to play in his third Super Bowl, said Haley brought “a competitiveness that maybe we didn’t have to that degree before. He brought an accountability to our offense, no matter who you are or what you’ve accomplished. He’s put the players in the best positions to win. That’s a huge part of success for a coach.”

Fitzgerald, the dominant offensive star of the NFL playoffs this season, said Haley pushed him harder than any coach he’s had.

“No matter what you do, it’s never good enough,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s not because he’s being hard on you, it’s because he wants you to be the best. He told me when he first got here, he wanted me to be the best receiver in the NFL, and he’s going to push me and drive me to that point. He’s still pushing to get the best out of me, and I’m willing to keep working for it because that’s what I want as well.”

Haley said he has avoided talking about the Kansas City situation with his players.

“To me, it’s about the game,” Haley said. “I’ve been preaching to these players every day about staying in your routine, doing the things that got us here. I have to follow that, too. So I’ve really blocked everything out.

“This is what I’ve sacrificed my life for and sacrificed so much time with my wife and five kids to get to this game. It’s a lifelong dream, and I’m enjoying and getting the most out of every minute.”

@ Go to KansasCity.com - to find updates on the Red Zone blog and sound off in our Chiefs forum.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Yay.

More fade patterns in goal-to-go situations, and running the ball 5 times in the second half.

Thrilling.

WHAT play would you call in a goal to go situation with the team we have?

[Chiefs Pantalones]

I could see Haley calling his own plays and possibly being the OC as well.

Which means good bye to Gailey thankfully.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by milkman

If it is Haley, I'm betting he and Pioli make a strong push for Todd Bowles at DC.

I think they are going to stick with Chan Gailey, at least for the '09 season.

That sounds like a good and logical move to me.

[King_Chief_Fan]

Just saw on ESPN that Oakland is sending feelers to Haley to see if he has intersest in interviewing for the head coach of Raiders.

[DeezNutz]

Is there any reason why Haley and Gailey would be a good match? Have these two crossed paths in the past, for example?

I'm sick and ****ing tired of having HC's inherit coordinators. How many times do we need to go through this to see that it's very difficult for this to work? Possible, but very difficult.

[R&GHomer]

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

Just saw on ESPN that Oakland is sending feelers to Haley to see if he has intersest in interviewing for the head coach of Raiders.

That's laughable, who would want to work for Al "the douche bag" davis

[King_Chief_Fan]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Is there any reason why Haley and Gailey would be a good match? Have these two crossed paths in the past, for example?

I'm sick and ****ing tired of having HC's inherit coordinators. How many times do we need to go through this to see that it's very difficult for this to work? Possible, but very difficult.

I think any coach they want will have the say about coordinators. Gailey is being hung on to just in case the new HC wants to keep him. He may also be the default guy to be head coach...I don't know,

[talastan]

I think it is honestly down to Haley or Gailey. If Haley is given the HC job, then they'll give him the choice to retain Chan or not. I hope he does, but if not then I'll trust who he picks. I do agree Bowles would be an awesome DC option.

[talastan]

Originally Posted by R&GHomer

That's laughable, who would want to work for Al "the douche bag" davis

This

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Is there any reason why Haley and Gailey would be a good match? Have these two crossed paths in the past, for example?

I'm sick and ****ing tired of having HC's inherit coordinators. How many times do we need to go through this to see that it's very difficult for this to work? Possible, but very difficult.

I agree, but keep in mind that Haley runs a lot of spread looks, so there could be a pretty good pairing here if they do. I don't think it's night and day, like it was with Solari and Herm.

[chiefzilla1501]

I think the only wildcard here would be Bruce Arians. I am really hoping it's not him, as I know of many Steelers fans that aren't huge fans of him--they still think it was a mistake to run the spread offense as exclusively as they do, and although they made the Super Bowl, they say that it's only because the Steelers' defense is that much better.

I'd be happy with Haley. Other than Spags, I think he has the most upside. I was never big on Rex Ryan or Jim Schwartz, so I'm really glad we didn't lunge at the first hot head coach prospect to hit the market.

My top guy is still Holmgren, but I know he won't be coaching in 2009.

[chiefscafan]

Wow after reading this it seems like Haley is a done deal. While I was reading this I kept remembering how much Clark Hunt loves the steelers organization and who is one of the main men his dad. Who worked with him closely for three years pioli and lastly who is one of his mentors that would be parcells. Sure sounds like a done deal.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Is there any reason why Haley and Gailey would be a good match? Have these two crossed paths in the past, for example?

I'm sick and ****ing tired of having HC's inherit coordinators. How many times do we need to go through this to see that it's very difficult for this to work? Possible, but very difficult.

I think the reason you'd see this paring is that the pickings will be slim for guys that either Pioli or Haley have any history with.

Gailey has been around the NFL for a lot of years and shown that he is flexible and can adapt, and Pioli has had the chnace to talk to him and get a feel for who he is.

Haley and Pioli might still want to look around, but they might find that Gailey is the best fit for at least the first year.

[warrior]

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

Just saw on ESPN that Oakland is sending feelers to Haley to see if he has intersest in interviewing for the head coach of Raiders.

Seen this to.

Time for screwing around is over HC's are getting scarce.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by milkman

I think the reason you'd see this paring is that the pickings will be slim for guys that either Pioli or Haley have any history with.

Gailey has been around the NFL for a lot of years and shown that he is flexible and can adapt, and Pioli has had the chnace to talk to him and get a feel for who he is.

Haley and Pioli might still want to look around, but they might find that Gailey is the best fit for at least the first year.

This might very well be the case, and Gailey isn't Solari. Not even ****ing close.

Still, it smells.

But as long as I never have to hear about the ****ing pistol again (which also means not hearing about Thigpen as the QBOTF), I'd be more willing to give it another year.