The Kansas City Chiefs have made the first big splash of the NFL offseason, hiring longtime Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid to be the new face of the franchise. Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the news Friday morning, roughly an hour after news broke that the team fired GM Scott Pioli.
Andy Reid and the Chiefs have reached an agreement. Lawyers reviewing contract. Added to ESPN story along with @adamschefter
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 4, 2013
Contract details were not available at the time of the report.
Before being fired by the Eagles on NFL's "Black Monday," Reid was the longest tenured coach in the NFL, having spent 14 years as the head man in Philadelphia.
The Chiefs have been searching for the right fit at head coach since general manager Scott Pioli took over the direction of the franchise in 2009. Todd Haley, hired in 2009, led the Chiefs to the playoffs in 2010 but repeatedly clashed with Pioli and his front office before being let go near the end of the 2011 season.
Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel was named interim head coach. Pioli promoted Crennel to head coach after the 2011 season, but Crennel was fired after a disappointing 2-14 record this year.
The Chiefs announced they had fired Pioli earlier Friday.
Reid has the strongest resumé of almost any head coaching candidate on the market. He was allegedly the top target of the Arizona Cardinals. Hired by the Eagles in 1999, his career record as head coach stands at 140-102-1. He led the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance in 2004.