Kirk Ferentz still top choice of Chiefs' Scott Pioli, according to report

Reid Compton-US PRESSWIRE

Fourteen-year Iowa head coach again linked with potential Kansas City opening.

Update: Scott Pioli has survived Kansas City's first wave of firings, but Peter King reports Kirk Ferentz won't be hired by the Chiefs.

Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli could be looking to hire Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz as the next coach in Kansas City, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network:

If Pioli gets another chance in KC, it could be w/the coach he wanted all along - Kirk Ferentz. Again, nothing completely certain there yet.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 30, 2012

The report comes on the same day that Jason Cole of Yahoo reported that Pioli will remain with the Chiefs for next season, but only with a new coach and quarterback:

Heard from a league source last night that Scott Pioli will survive in KC, but only with significant changes (new coach, new QB). We'll see.
— Jason Cole (@JasonColeYahoo) December 30, 2012

Ferentz, who just finished his 14th season as Iowa's head coach, has a longstanding personal and professional relationship with Pioli stemming back to their days with the Cleveland Browns in the early 90s. Due to that relationship, he has been connected with the Chiefs' position since Todd Haley was fired following the 2011 season. Kansas City also has former Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who Ferentz coached into the program's second all-time winningest signalcaller, and former Iowa players Tony Moeaki and Bryan Matteson.

However, Ferentz also has complete job security at Iowa. He is the sixth highest-paid head coach in college football at nearly $3.9 million per season before performance bonuses, and is under contract through 2020 with a buyout estimated at $18.5 million. His oldest son, Brian Ferentz, recently joined the coaching staff, and his youngest son is a redshirt freshman at Iowa. In addition, while Ferentz has been linked with NFL openings for more than a decade, his stock has never been lower: Iowa just finished a 4-8 season, the program's worst record since 2000, with one of the nation's worst offenses.