Post by lazarus on Jan 11, 2006 12:43:17 GMT -5
Edwards gets to work
Chiefs’ coach makes personnel move on his first day
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
The settling-in period for Herman Edwards lasted all of 12 hours.
Day one of the Edwards era started with the Chiefs’ new coach locked away in a makeshift office early Tuesday for closed-door meetings that dragged into the night. He shuffled in players, who waited their turn for appointments. He had individual meetings with the assistants from thingy Vermeil’s staff.
By late in the day, at least one coach found out he wouldn’t be back. Assistant offensive line coach Irv Eatman said Tuesday night that he was let go in a late-afternoon meeting with Edwards. Eatman said Edwards is going with a smaller staff, and that required the elimination of some positions.
The Chiefs had two coaches for both the offensive and defensive lines in 2005.
“He just expressed that he has his own ideas about how he wants to configure his coaching staff,” Eatman
said. “Obviously, all head coaches do. If I’m Herm Edwards or whomever, I would want my own soldiers as well if I’m going to war.
“Let’s face it — in coaching, it’s not a question of if you’re going to be looking for a new job. It’s when. We’re human beings, we have to take care of our families, and it’s a very personal thing. But you move on. It’s not always a negative thing.”
Eatman said he’d heard there will be other departures but didn’t know who or when. Receivers coach Charlie Joiner said Tuesday night that he met with Edwards and expected to talk again.
“We didn’t come to anything definite,” Joiner said.
On a gray, snowy day, the biggest question looming at Arrowhead Stadium was the status of offensive coordinator Al Saunders. He was in the office Tuesday afternoon, then jetted off to Detroit to interview for the Lions’ head-coaching vacancy. Saunders’ name has also popped up in Oakland’s search to replace Norv Turner. He’s expected to have a second interview at Houston, too.
Saunders was the architect of one of the NFL’s most potent offenses, and the Chiefs led the league in total offense in 2004 and 2005. Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said he’d like to see Saunders stay but that the decision ultimately rests with Edwards.
“I still believe he’s going to end up being a head football coach,” Vermeil said. “I think he deserves the opportunity. He’s paid his dues. He’s a super football coach, a super person with a tremendous work ethic.
“And I think someone, one of these so-called geniuses in the National Football League, is going to recognize that. We’ve got a lot of guys in positions that are scary.”
Vermeil is in the process of cleaning out his office, and Edwards happily made space for himself in a different room at Arrowhead on Tuesday. He has no immediate timetable for assembling a staff, and because the Chiefs were fast to hire a head coach, there is little concern of a shortage of available coaching talent.
When the decisions are finalized, one person who may be a surprise holdover is defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham.
Cunningham has a history with Edwards. In 2004, Cunningham interviewed with Edwards for the defensive coordinator job with the Jets.
Cunningham was at Arrowhead on Tuesday and apparently met with some players. He didn’t return a phone call to The Star. Saunders also was unavailable
Chiefs’ coach makes personnel move on his first day
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
The settling-in period for Herman Edwards lasted all of 12 hours.
Day one of the Edwards era started with the Chiefs’ new coach locked away in a makeshift office early Tuesday for closed-door meetings that dragged into the night. He shuffled in players, who waited their turn for appointments. He had individual meetings with the assistants from thingy Vermeil’s staff.
By late in the day, at least one coach found out he wouldn’t be back. Assistant offensive line coach Irv Eatman said Tuesday night that he was let go in a late-afternoon meeting with Edwards. Eatman said Edwards is going with a smaller staff, and that required the elimination of some positions.
The Chiefs had two coaches for both the offensive and defensive lines in 2005.
“He just expressed that he has his own ideas about how he wants to configure his coaching staff,” Eatman
said. “Obviously, all head coaches do. If I’m Herm Edwards or whomever, I would want my own soldiers as well if I’m going to war.
“Let’s face it — in coaching, it’s not a question of if you’re going to be looking for a new job. It’s when. We’re human beings, we have to take care of our families, and it’s a very personal thing. But you move on. It’s not always a negative thing.”
Eatman said he’d heard there will be other departures but didn’t know who or when. Receivers coach Charlie Joiner said Tuesday night that he met with Edwards and expected to talk again.
“We didn’t come to anything definite,” Joiner said.
On a gray, snowy day, the biggest question looming at Arrowhead Stadium was the status of offensive coordinator Al Saunders. He was in the office Tuesday afternoon, then jetted off to Detroit to interview for the Lions’ head-coaching vacancy. Saunders’ name has also popped up in Oakland’s search to replace Norv Turner. He’s expected to have a second interview at Houston, too.
Saunders was the architect of one of the NFL’s most potent offenses, and the Chiefs led the league in total offense in 2004 and 2005. Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said he’d like to see Saunders stay but that the decision ultimately rests with Edwards.
“I still believe he’s going to end up being a head football coach,” Vermeil said. “I think he deserves the opportunity. He’s paid his dues. He’s a super football coach, a super person with a tremendous work ethic.
“And I think someone, one of these so-called geniuses in the National Football League, is going to recognize that. We’ve got a lot of guys in positions that are scary.”
Vermeil is in the process of cleaning out his office, and Edwards happily made space for himself in a different room at Arrowhead on Tuesday. He has no immediate timetable for assembling a staff, and because the Chiefs were fast to hire a head coach, there is little concern of a shortage of available coaching talent.
When the decisions are finalized, one person who may be a surprise holdover is defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham.
Cunningham has a history with Edwards. In 2004, Cunningham interviewed with Edwards for the defensive coordinator job with the Jets.
Cunningham was at Arrowhead on Tuesday and apparently met with some players. He didn’t return a phone call to The Star. Saunders also was unavailable