NFL head coaching can be one of the most challenging jobs in the world, and it’s no secret that landing one of the 32 spots isn’t easy to do. All NFL head coaches have a ton of football behind their names, whether they played the sport themselves. All had to work their way to the top over the years.
Andy Reid’s story is no different, although it has its own touches that make his tale uniquely his. After coaching 14 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid got a second chance with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, where he’s now looking to lead them into the playoffs for the third time during his tenure. How did he get here? Let’s find out.
Early Days
Andy Reid was born in California and looked up to his older brother, who was a standout athlete. Even before Reid took up sports at his local high school, he had plenty of experience on the sidelines as a ball boy, and famously took part in a “Monday Night Football” NFL Punt, Pass & Kick youth competition at 13 years old, where he dwarfed the other competition.
Reid played college ball at Brigham Young University after lettering in several sports during high school, but an injury sidelined a possible professional playing career. Those around him could tell he was keenly intelligent and not only worked well in a group but could see outside the box – the makings of a great coach.
Beginning of Coaching Career
Reid transitioned to coaching as a graduate assistant in 1982 and from there, went on to different positions at a few universities. San Francisco State was the home of Reid’s next opportunity, where he worked as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He followed this stint with offensive line coaching gigs at Northern Arizona, University of Texas at El Paso, and for the Missouri Tigers in Columbia.
Reid entered the NFL life in 1992 as the tight ends and assistant offensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers with Brett Favre, who joined the league the year prior. His success with the Packers led to his first head coaching job with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles
Reid was the head coach of the Eagles for 14 seasons, taking over in 1999 and leading the squad to a 5-11 record. This was an improvement over the team’s 1998 season, though, when they played into the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. Reid helped select dual-threat quarterback Donovan McNabb with the high draft pick, who eventually helped turn Philly into an NFC East powerhouse with five consecutive playoff appearances, capped off by an NFC championship and a Super Bowl loss.
Although the Eagles didn’t reach the Super Bowl again, Reid led the team to the playoffs nine times over a 14-season span. Reid was let go from the club following a dismal 4-12 season after getting blown out by their division rivals, the New York Giants, at the tail end of 2012.
He wasn’t going to be unemployed for long, however.
Kansas City Chiefs
In 2012, the Kansas City Chiefs had also let their most recent head coach go. Romeo Crennel took over the reins in 2011 after the team fired Todd Haley, and his first and only full year manning the helm in KC was disastrous, leaving the team with a 2-14 record. Andy Reid made an immediate impact in Kansas City, leading the team to the playoffs his first season, and again in 2015 when the squad won their first playoff game since 1993.
These days, the Chiefs are hoping to head to yet another postseason berth. Andy Reid has done nothing more than win like crazy in the NFL, notching 13 winning seasons out of his 18. He’s well-respected in the league and well-liked in the locker room.
If you’re hoping to catch some Kansas City Chiefs postseason action, be sure to grab all your gear at Fanatics.com, which has plenty to keep you warm at home while you tailgate or sit in the stadium.
Sources
- http://www.chiefs.com/longreads/2016/andyreid.html
- http://nesn.com/2016/01/andy-reid-was-hilariously-huge-in-1971-punt-pass-and-kick-competition-video/
- http://www.chiefs.com/team/coaches/andy-reid/f3ab9d7f-fc69-4961-a45e-4b764966fff8
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/ReidAn0.htm
- http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?season=1999
- http://www.nflppk.com/about
- http://www.cbsnews.com/news/andy-reid-fired-as-eagles-coach-after-14-seasons/
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/
- http://www.espn.com/blog/kansas-city-chiefs/post/_/id/3900/nfln-surveypopular-coach-chiefs
