Chiefs Pioli: Haley will return, possible staff changes coming... - Page 3

DaWolf · 01-04-2010, 12:13 AM

Pioli says he saw growth from Haley this year

By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

DENVER | The desired results didn’t come until Sunday, when the Chiefs were able to finish their season on a high note by routing the Denver Broncos 44-24.

But general manager Scott Pioli said he has been seeing the indicators all along that Todd Haley was the right coach to guide the Chiefs through these turbulent times and on to better days.

Foremost, Pioli said, was that the Chiefs continued to play hard for Haley despite their record, which will stand at 4-12 in Haley’s first season.

“He coached very passionately and he coached hard,” Pioli said in confirming Haley would coach the Chiefs again in 2010. “There were a lot of reasons at different times of the year for this team to quit and the players to quit. But they didn’t, and clearly they responded to his coaching.

“How hard players play is always an indicator. We saw improvements in this football team, and we saw that in a game like today’s.”

Haley had a short coaching career when he was hired last February by Pioli to coach the Chiefs. His first season was marked by clashes with players, changes to his coaching staff and some odd moves during games.

But Pioli indicated Haley will be a better coach and the Chiefs a better team because of them.

“Todd made tremendous progress this year,” Pioli said. “Our whole team made progress this year. Todd coached well under some difficult circumstances.

“Some of the decisions he made and some of the things he did, he was clear to me at different times that he had to do them better. In our private meetings, he was very aware of the improvement all of us had to make, himself included. He’s very self-aware. I saw growth, absolutely.”

Haley juggled plenty of duties for a rookie head coach after firing Chan Gailey during the preseason and taking over as offensive coordinator himself.

“I don’t know if he had too much on his plate but he had a lot on his plate,” Pioli said. “Being a first-time head coach, coordinating the offense, calling the plays and having the set of circumstances we all walked into that we all knew was a lot to overcome … he handled it well.”

Haley said he was better equipped to coach the Chiefs now after having more than 10 months of on-the-job training.

“There’s no substitute for experience,” he said. “There’s no manual for doing this job. I don’t know that there’s anybody great at this job right out of the blocks. The way you become a great head coach is to learn from each experience. Each game is an experience and each week leading up to it. Until you have that experience, you just don’t know.

“In my mind, I’ve continued to get better in each and every area.”

Haley will quickly turn his attention to possible changes on his coaching staff. Coordinator Clancy Pendergast is an obvious target after the Chiefs finished near the bottom of the league on defense.

ESPN reported the Chiefs would hire former Cleveland head coach Romeo Crennel as their new defensive coordinator.

Haley and Crennel once coached together as assistants with the New York Jets. Crennel was also defensive coordinator with New England while Pioli was the Patriots’ personnel director.

But Haley said he has not discussed a coaching position with Crennel.

“I know Romeo,” he said. “He’s a friend of mine, and I worked with him for a handful of years. I’ve probably talked to Romeo four or five times this year but not specifically about coaching here. I would never do that to the guys here. They’ve been working their butts off.”

Haley indicated changes would probably be coming to his staff in some form.

“That’s something I’ve got to be right on is the staff,” he said. “I thought coming into this it was a two-year process potentially just because of how late in the game I got hired. It was in February when I was hired. All the other staffs had been hired.

Those changes could include the hiring of an offensive coordinator.

“We’ve been having a lot of conversations about this, and we’ll continue to talk about that,” Pioli said. “The time hasn’t been right to have those conversations. We didn’t want to be distracted about the season. We’ll be able to get to that now.”

|Zach| · 01-04-2010, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Clancy Pendergast, Clancy Pendergast. Please report to Ray Farmer's office.

Ok, I laughed out loud.

|Zach| · 01-04-2010, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I was told by certain people that this was a load of crap and no excuses but I guess Pioli\Haley are lying.

You message board sports fans are great.

**Bwana** · 01-04-2010, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Clancy Pendergast, Clancy Pendergast. Please report to Ray Farmer's office.

And bring your playbook!

**The Bad Guy** · 01-04-2010, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FringeNC

Why does everyone want an offensive coordinator? I thought the progress over the of the season was remarkable. We averaged about 3 yards per play early on, and by the end of the year, two of our last three games we put up 500 yards, and in the last game we average 8.7 yards per play, something Vermeil's units probably did only a few times. Why on earth would we want to shift gears and go to a new system AGAIN, given the progress?

I think Weis would be the most seemless transition because both guys run simiar offenses.

They can collaborate, but the preperation and gameday responsibility would be Charlie's. Todd needs someone to take some of the responsibility away.

I think this offense grew a lot because the line started blocking, Chambers was making the catches and Charles was killing it.

TheGuardian · 01-04-2010, 08:32 AM

So what you're saying is, the offense got better because better players became involved.....................

Innnnteresting............

**Old Dog** · 01-04-2010, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

You had me till the bolded section. We're talking about almost 40 ****ing years not 15-20. It should NOT take 15-20 years to build a SB contender. Are you honestly telling me that INdy and NE were in a building phase back in the 90's? Or did they just suck until they finally got good coaching and good players?

I agree, it takes time, but there is NO WAY IN HELL anyone should think that 15-20 years is reasonable...FFS...

This

An average NFL career is under 5 years, but on the bright side if it's supposed to take 15-20 years we're due any time now (or maybe we skipped our other two and we'll take three in a row soon, yeah, I'm sure that's it)

**dirk digler** · 01-04-2010, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |Zach|

You message board sports fans are great.

I know thanks

burt · 01-04-2010, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |Zach|

You message board sports fans are great.

POT.............KETTLE.........

TEX · 01-04-2010, 08:52 AM

“That’s something I’ve got to be right on is the staff,” he said. “I thought coming into this it was a two-year process potentially just because of how late in the game I got hired. It was in February when I was hired. All the other staffs had been hired.
_______________________________________________________________________________

To me, this was the KILLER this season. Once into the offseason, it also became clear that Pioli treated it as a two-year process.

I still don't agree with the whole Cassle signing, then extending his contract, and especially about getting your QBOTF and playing him behind a crap OL from the get go, but if that was all part of the plan - then so be it. Having said that, the OL developed better then the QB so time will definately tell on this deal.

In any case, having your staff set early can only improve things.

teedubya · 01-04-2010, 08:55 AM

Im certainly encouraged going into next season... the win at Denver REALLY will help with season ticket sales and overall chiefs optimism.

CoMoChief · 01-04-2010, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

Kansas City is the perfect place for Romeo and Weis.

This.

CoMoChief · 01-04-2010, 08:57 AM

If Cassel can improve on his accuracy and deep ball.

Focus the offense more so on Charles.....kinda like Tennessee does with CJ AND....

If we can get some WR's that can catch the god damn ball......this offense will have some potential.

**Bugeater** · 01-04-2010, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerm

If we are indeed in on Crennel and Weis, I hope we're proactive and act fast before other teams start to make changes.
Posted via Mobile Device

Yes, this. I don't think there's any doubt that the foot-dragging last offseason hurt us.

Jack · 01-04-2010, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TigerPig

I'd say Haley did alright for his first year as a Head Coach. He made some bonehead moves, like a rookie at anything would. But he also doubled our wins and we got a good idea of what we have to work with (not much, but we know).

Keep him around for a while. One year is a total overhaul. Two years is a rebuilding. Three years is trying to turn the corner, fourth year is having all the pieces together and making them fit perfectly.

If you keep going through coaches every 1-2 years, you'll never get better. Cause you're not letting the coach or the coaching scheme mature and solidify.

The biggest problem is people want to win RIGHT NOW. And if you want to win, and win well you have to wait. You could sign some FAs and maybe get us to .500 next year, but you won't be putting the pieces together to make the team win in the long haul, which is what teams like Indy, San Diego and New England have done. There were a LOT of years that Indy and NE were the laughing stock of the league (Early 90s). But now they're powerhouses. It may take 15-20 years to win a Super Bowl. But that may be the only way we can.

That may be a bit high but not a bad gauge considering the Chiefs took over 40 years.

Than said, your points are well taken. The biggest issues are how to appease the Chiefs faithful and build a respected franchise. Judging by the number of Haley-haters in his first year one could believe we are no where near the first issue of fan appeasement.

But it is difficult to judge fan satisfaction at any point due to the fact there will always be a percentage of non supporters regardless of the level of team play. Another way to say some are just not happy unless they complain. So for me if the Chiefs reach .500 next year I would be pleased but not "happy".

The only measuring stick is getting to the playoffs and beyond. Second to that is just what happen yesterday, knocking a division rival out of any hope of continued play, the "if I can't have it, I'll see to it that you can't" attitude. Not a great inspiration when you think of it.

The giddiness of yesterday's win will gray into tomorrows lost season hangover. Then all the teams failures will become scrutinized until the start of next season. No one here can offer a solid solution. That responsibility lay with owner. Unless Clark ponies up, .500 next year may be hard to reach.

Great franchises are not built totally by the genius of coaching. Coaches are just target of success or failure. Go to the top then work down.

No doubt Clark Hunt ever reads down to the level of the fans. He may just do as his father and, not disrespecting what he did, we may never again see the Chiefs going to the big dance.

chief4life · 01-04-2010, 10:24 AM

Adam Teicher is a douche he is reporting something that has already 610 has been saying for 3 weeks. He is a joke and needs to be replaced. Hell i like Whitlock better than him!

01-04-2010, 12:13 AM
DaWolf Cry havoc... Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $10007725	Pioli: Haley will return, possible staff changes coming... Pioli says he saw growth from Haley this year By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star DENVER \| The desired results didn’t come until Sunday, when the Chiefs were able to finish their season on a high note by routing the Denver Broncos 44-24. But general manager Scott Pioli said he has been seeing the indicators all along that Todd Haley was the right coach to guide the Chiefs through these turbulent times and on to better days. Foremost, Pioli said, was that the Chiefs continued to play hard for Haley despite their record, which will stand at 4-12 in Haley’s first season. “He coached very passionately and he coached hard,” Pioli said in confirming Haley would coach the Chiefs again in 2010. “There were a lot of reasons at different times of the year for this team to quit and the players to quit. But they didn’t, and clearly they responded to his coaching. “How hard players play is always an indicator. We saw improvements in this football team, and we saw that in a game like today’s.” Haley had a short coaching career when he was hired last February by Pioli to coach the Chiefs. His first season was marked by clashes with players, changes to his coaching staff and some odd moves during games. But Pioli indicated Haley will be a better coach and the Chiefs a better team because of them. “Todd made tremendous progress this year,” Pioli said. “Our whole team made progress this year. Todd coached well under some difficult circumstances. “Some of the decisions he made and some of the things he did, he was clear to me at different times that he had to do them better. In our private meetings, he was very aware of the improvement all of us had to make, himself included. He’s very self-aware. I saw growth, absolutely.” Haley juggled plenty of duties for a rookie head coach after firing Chan Gailey during the preseason and taking over as offensive coordinator himself. “I don’t know if he had too much on his plate but he had a lot on his plate,” Pioli said. “Being a first-time head coach, coordinating the offense, calling the plays and having the set of circumstances we all walked into that we all knew was a lot to overcome … he handled it well.” Haley said he was better equipped to coach the Chiefs now after having more than 10 months of on-the-job training. “There’s no substitute for experience,” he said. “There’s no manual for doing this job. I don’t know that there’s anybody great at this job right out of the blocks. The way you become a great head coach is to learn from each experience. Each game is an experience and each week leading up to it. Until you have that experience, you just don’t know. “In my mind, I’ve continued to get better in each and every area.” Haley will quickly turn his attention to possible changes on his coaching staff. Coordinator Clancy Pendergast is an obvious target after the Chiefs finished near the bottom of the league on defense. ESPN reported the Chiefs would hire former Cleveland head coach Romeo Crennel as their new defensive coordinator. Haley and Crennel once coached together as assistants with the New York Jets. Crennel was also defensive coordinator with New England while Pioli was the Patriots’ personnel director. But Haley said he has not discussed a coaching position with Crennel. “I know Romeo,” he said. “He’s a friend of mine, and I worked with him for a handful of years. I’ve probably talked to Romeo four or five times this year but not specifically about coaching here. I would never do that to the guys here. They’ve been working their butts off.” Haley indicated changes would probably be coming to his staff in some form. “That’s something I’ve got to be right on is the staff,” he said. “I thought coming into this it was a two-year process potentially just because of how late in the game I got hired. It was in February when I was hired. All the other staffs had been hired. Those changes could include the hiring of an offensive coordinator. “We’ve been having a lot of conversations about this, and we’ll continue to talk about that,” Pioli said. “The time hasn’t been right to have those conversations. We didn’t want to be distracted about the season. We’ll be able to get to that now.”
Posts: 6,798

01-04-2010, 08:32 AM	#35
TheGuardian MVP Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $6305299	So what you're saying is, the offense got better because better players became involved..................... Innnnteresting............
Posts: 9,564

01-04-2010, 08:52 AM	#39
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Galveston, TX Casino cash: $-1446873	“That’s something I’ve got to be right on is the staff,” he said. “I thought coming into this it was a two-year process potentially just because of how late in the game I got hired. It was in February when I was hired. All the other staffs had been hired. _______________________________________________________________________________ To me, this was the KILLER this season. Once into the offseason, it also became clear that Pioli treated it as a two-year process. I still don't agree with the whole Cassle signing, then extending his contract, and especially about getting your QBOTF and playing him behind a crap OL from the get go, but if that was all part of the plan - then so be it. Having said that, the OL developed better then the QB so time will definately tell on this deal. In any case, having your staff set early can only improve things. __________________ "Do we have time to run WASP?" Last edited by TEX; 01-04-2010 at 10:27 AM..
Posts: 37,105

01-04-2010, 08:55 AM	#40
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $8993042	Im certainly encouraged going into next season... the win at Denver REALLY will help with season ticket sales and overall chiefs optimism.
Posts: 36,832

01-04-2010, 08:57 AM	#42
CoMoChief Mahomes Dynasty Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $7672254	If Cassel can improve on his accuracy and deep ball. Focus the offense more so on Charles.....kinda like Tennessee does with CJ AND.... If we can get some WR's that can catch the god damn ball......this offense will have some potential.
Posts: 39,245

01-04-2010, 10:24 AM	#45
chief4life Brad Henson Productions Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Overland Park, KS Casino cash: $9398502	Adam Teicher is a douche he is reporting something that has already 610 has been saying for 3 weeks. He is a joke and needs to be replaced. Hell i like Whitlock better than him!
Posts: 1,931