On February 11, 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs claimed their fourth Super Bowl title and their second in succession. It’s tough for any franchise to successfully defend their title, but this talented roster is looking to go even further and land a rare three-peat.
The Chiefs’ top players will naturally receive most of the credit for their run of success. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is ably supported throughout the side by the likes of Chris Jones and Travis Kelce. It’s a stunning roster, but how much is down to Kansas City’s Head Coach, Andy Reid?
Proud Record
During the 2023/24 NFL season, Andy Reid became the winningest coach in Kansas City Chiefs history. His total of 130 wins beat the previous milestone set by Hank Stram, and he has time left to extend that record considerably.
The Chiefs are likely to be the team to watch once again in 2024/25. Reid’s men are clear favorites to win another Super Bowl, and bettors will focus heavily on the team in the Futures and NFL Player Props markets.
It’s been an exceptional run, and while Andy Reid deserves much credit, how much do we know about the man pulling the strings in the Chiefs’ roster?
College Beginnings
Like many successful coaches in modern-day sport, Andy Reid’s playing career was a modest one. He appeared as an offensive tackle for Glendale Community College, but a bad knee injury put an end to a planned transfer to Stanford.
Reid’s playing days were effectively at an end, but he wasn’t finished with football. Teammates recalled that he possessed an analytical mind, and a career in football coaching always seemed likely.
After working as an assistant for the BYU Cougars Football Team, Andy Reid carried on in the college game for another nine years. From 1982 until 1991, he worked as an offensive line coach for four universities, including Northern Arizona and San Francisco State. He stayed in the background for much of that time, but eventually, the NFL would come calling.
Hitting the Big Time
The Green Bay Packers were the team that gave Andy Reid his big break. From 1991, the franchise hired him as their offensive line coach and he went on to work with the quarterbacks and the tight ends. From 1997, Reid was employed as the assistant head coach, and was part of the backroom staff that led Green Bay to Super Bowl success in 1997.
Andy Reid’s reputation was growing, but he would have to leave the Packers for his first major role. In 1999, he crossed to Philadelphia and spent the next 13 years as head coach of the Eagles.
Reid’s method of working was already set. He had a reputation as a diligent coach, but he also instilled a sense of fun into his teams. He was respected by his players, but the ultimate prize was elusive. With 130 wins behind him, Andy Reid left Philadelphia to join the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013.
Kansas Calls
Reid has achieved all of his aims with the Kansas City Chiefs. When he arrived, the franchise had only one Super Bowl success behind them, and that win came back in 1969. The new Head Coach transformed them from an average team into title contenders, and those efforts paid off as Kansas City lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2019.
Back-to-back Super Bowl wins followed in 2023 and 2024, and the team made a bright start as they looked to make it three in a row. A 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens puts the Chiefs on an early course for that historic treble.
He’s already passed the record for most wins as a Chiefs’ coach, and Reid holds another proud milestone. He became the first coach in NFL history to claim 100 wins with two different franchises.
Many feel he’s improved in the dugout since making the switch from Philadelphia to Kansas City, but what’s next?
Andy Reid will be approaching his 67th birthday by the time the next Super Bowl is played in February 2025. There has been some talk about retirement, but the coach states that he isn’t even thinking about an end to his career.
Reid’s current contract with Kansas City takes him through to 2029, and that seems a more likely time to call it a day. There is, of course, a possibility that the Chiefs will look to part company before then, but that seems implausible given the success that Reid has brought to the team.
If he does stay to the end of his current deal, he could take the Chiefs to their fifth Super Bowl and beyond. Not only would he be the best leader in the team’s history, but Andy Reid might just be considered as the best NFL coach of all time.
Dilawar Mughal is an accomplished author with a passion for storytelling. His works span various genres, from thrilling mysteries to heartfelt romance novels. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for character development, Dilawar weaves engaging narratives that captivate readers and transport them to new worlds.