If Clark's target as been Mike Shanahan all along and this is the guy Pioli wants as well, then they shouldn't let Shanahan's desire to "decompress for a year" get in their way from getting their guy.

By all accounts Shanahan wants to coach again, so it is Clark and Pioli's job to sell what the Chiefs opportunity has to offer.

Question: If I have my facts correct it appears that Shanahan and Chan Gailey both worked with the Broncos under Dan Reeves. I'm just curious, I guess, about the relationship between the two. Shanahan coming to the Chiefs might be the reason Gailey was refused permission to interview with Tampa?

FTR I don't want Shanahan in KC; just dying of curiosity like everyone else. I really think whoever Pioli hires, I will be happy (cause it won't be Herm).

lol, I noticed that as well, he ESPN'ed the Shanahan thing. hah

Um, no, not really.

Yeah you did. You've been prancing around here telling everybody not to worry - that Nick had the scoop and it's practically a done deal ("Just sit back and relax"). You even said that Herm was fired on Friday because of it. Now you're backpedaling saying that this is all about "interest" and trying to distance WPI from this bogus story.

For the record, we never reported it was a done deal.

It's my opinion that it is.

We done here? :rolleyes:

Gailey was Special Teams Coordinator and defensive assistant at Denver. He and Shanahan didn't directly work together. Their personal relationship and professional respect for each other are anyone's guess, but Shanahan never hired Gailey for either the Raiders or Broncos when he had a chance.

Shanahan expressed interest in Gailey last offseason, but he ultimately wound up in Kansas City. Gailey felt he would have more autonomy over the offense in Kansas City as opposed to Denver.

Link?

Dead link.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/new...ffensive-aide/

By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News

The Titans have their new offensive coordinator in Mike Heimerdinger and the Broncos now have an opening on their staff.

There were several discussions Wednesday and according to sources a deal should be finalized by Thursday for Heimerdinger to return to the Titans. A formal announcement will come as soon as Thursday or Friday.

Heimerdinger could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

The Broncos formally granted the Titans permission to talk to Heimerdinger on Wednesday morning and the talks quickly gained speed from there.

Early Wednesday Mike Shanahan said in a statement: “The Tennessee Titans have requested consent to talk to Mike Heimerdinger about their offensive coordinator position, and we have granted them permission. The opportunity in Tennessee would give Mike the chance to go back to an organization and work with a head coach with whom he is very familiar, handling the entire offense and having full control over game-planning and play-calling responsibilities.”

A deal between Heimerdinger and the Titans was expected to then be completed with little difficulty given Heimerdinger had already been the team's offensive coordinator for five seasons (2000-2004) earlier in Jeff Fisher's tenure there.

The Titans are looking to improve quarterback Vince Young's play. In his second season the Titans did make the AFC playoff field, but Young finished 26th in the league with a passer rating of 71.1 while throwing almost twice as many interceptions (17) in the regular season as touchdown passes (nine).

Heimerdinger was the Titans' offensive coordinator when Steve McNair had three of the top four passing seasons of his career, including in 2003 when McNair finished with a career-best 24 touchdowns, 100.4 passer rating and shared the league's MVP award with Peyton Manning.

He would oversee the Titans offense, including play-calling duties on gameday.

The Broncos had Chan Gailey at the top of their list, but couldn't move quickly enough to secure the veteran coach. After two interviews in Kansas City, the second coming Tuesday, Gailey was quickly named the Chiefs offensive coordinator Wednesday afternoon with the Broncos in pursuit.

The Broncos are now expected to turn their attention to former UCLA coach and Broncos assistant Karl Dorrell – he coached wide receivers for three seasons (2000-02) under Shanahan. Dorrell was fired by UCLA after this past season.

Heimerdinger was in his second stint with the Broncos having been the team's wide receivers coach 1995-99, a span that included the team's two Super Bowl victories.

That's very interesting, actually.

Thanks.

If the Chiefs were going to keep a coordinator in hand for Shanahan:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Gunther Cunningham once mused that if his tenure as Chiefs head coach didn't work out, he could always go back to being a defensive coordinator.

That may be his best NFL opportunity now, especially since the Denver Broncos are seeking a defensive coordinator in the wake of Greg Robinson's firing.

Not only has Cunningham been a defensive assistant or coordinator with three AFC West teams, but Broncos coach Mike Shanahan tried to hire him after Shanahan took over the Broncos in January 1995. Only a protest by the Chiefs to the NFL office prevented ...

... and ...

Byline: Lee Rasizer News Staff Writer

Gunther Cunningham might not be on the unemployment line very long.

Fired Friday as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Cunningham was in Denver on Wednesday meeting with Broncos coach Mike Shanahan regarding Denver's vacancy at defensive coordinator.

Cunningham, 54, is the second candidate known to have interviewed for the position with Shanahan, who returned from vacation in Mexico to conduct Wednesday's meeting. Packers defensive backs coach Bob Slowik met with Shanahan last Thursday at the Broncos' Dove Valley headquarters.

Just sayin'.

Yeah, we dodged a bullet there.

Thanks Detroit!

I can't post links for whatever reason.

Here is the story:

Heimerdinger leaving Broncos for Titans job
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
January 16, 2008

Mike Heimerdinger has agreed to leave the Broncos to take over as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. A former announcement could come as early as Thursday or Friday.

The Titans have their new offensive coordinator in Mike Heimerdinger and the Broncos now have an opening on their staff.

There were several discussions Wednesday and according to a source a deal should be finalized by Thursday for Heimerdinger to return to the Titans. A formal announcement will come as soon as Thursday or Friday.

Heimerdinger could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

The Broncos formally granted the Titans permission to talk to Heimerdinger on Wednesday morning and the talks quickly gained speed from there.

Early Wednesday Mike Shanahan said in a statement: “The Tennessee Titans have requested consent to talk to Mike Heimerdinger about their offensive coordinator position, and we have granted them permission. The opportunity in Tennessee would give Mike the chance to go back to an organization and work with a head coach with whom he is very familiar, handling the entire offense and having full control over game-planning and play-calling responsibilities.”

A deal between Heimerdinger and the Titans was expected to then be completed with little difficulty given Heimerdinger had already been the team's offensive coordinator for five seasons (2000-2004) earlier in Jeff Fisher's tenure there.

The Titans are looking to improve quarterback Vince Young's play. In his second season the Titans did make the AFC playoff field, but Young finished 26th in the league with a passer rating of 71.1 while throwing almost twice as many interceptions (17) in the regular season as touchdown passes (nine).

Heimerdinger was the Titans' offensive coordinator when Steve McNair had three of the top four passing seasons of his career, including in 2003 when McNair finished with a career-best 24 touchdowns, 100.4 passer rating and shared the league's MVP award with Peyton Manning.

He would oversee the Titans offense, including play-calling duties on gameday.

The Broncos had Chan Gailey at the top of their list, but couldn't move quickly enough to secure the veteran coach. After two interviews in Kansas City, the second coming Tuesday, Gailey was quickly named the Chiefs offensive coordinator Wednesday afternoon with the Broncos in pursuit.

The Broncos are now expected to turn their attention to former UCLA coach and Broncos assistant Karl Dorrell – he coached wide receivers for three seasons (2000-02) under Shanahan. Dorrell was fired by UCLA after this past season.

Heimerdinger was in his second stint with the Broncos having been the team's wide receivers coach 1995-99, a span that included the team's two Super Bowl victories.