Good coaching is hard to come by. When a team gets a good coach, they need to hold onto them as long as possible even if they have a down year or two at some point. Many owners and general managers are highly inconsistent when it comes to firing or retaining a head coach. Society is trigger happy when it comes to sports. Teams must win now and if they don’t, the course of the ship must change immediately, but is that the right move?
Most times, it’s not one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. However, the Kansas City Chiefs know it best this isn’t always the case. Kansas City took advantage of the Eagles getting rid of a great coach after two subpar seasons. That coach is Andy Reid, and he is the most underrated, underappreciated coach in the NFL. Reid is a hall of fame coach only missing one thing from his resume, a Super Bowl win.
Philly with Andy Reid
Andy Reid was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles for 14 NFL seasons. Before Andy Reid was named the head coach of the Eagles in 1999, the Eagles did not have a coach last more than 80 games since Dick Vermeil was the coach from 1976-1982. Reid would coach over 200 games with the Eagles and lead them to the best success the franchise had ever seen.
Andy Reid’s first season was an abysmal 5-11. After that, Reid went on a tear throughout the NFL. In his next five seasons, he made the playoffs and had a regular season record of 59-21. The first year of that five-year playoff run, the Eagles lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
What Reid did in the next four seasons with the Eagles was rare. He led them to four straight NFC Championship berths. They lost the first three before winning the NFC Championship in January of 2005.
The Eagles had finally gotten over the hump of the NFC Championship but had to face the great Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The Eagles lost the Super Bowl XXXIX 24-21. It was the Eagles second Super Bowl loss franchise history.
After the Super Bowl loss, there was a hangover and the Eagles finished the 2005 season 6-10. In the seven seasons from 2006-2012, the Eagles never reached the same kind of success but were still a playoff contender.
Overall in Andy Reid’s 14 seasons with the Eagles, he finished with a regular season record of 130-93-1. He made the playoffs nine out of his 14 seasons. Reid was fired after a 4-12 season in 2012 and two consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance.
Philly Since Reid’s Departure
Since Reid was fired in 2012, the Eagles have had two head coaches and an interim head coach. Reid has been with the Chiefs during that entire time.
As an organization, the Eagles have gone 34-30 and only made the playoffs once in those four seasons. They lost their only playoff game at home to the Saints 26-24.
Personally, Andy Reid in those four seasons has gone 43-21 and made the playoffs three times. The Eagles felt life without Reid would be better, but the truth of the matter is because of two subpar seasons by Reid’s standards, the Eagles went in a different direction. It is speculation but had the Eagles kept Reid their franchise might be still one of the best in the NFL.
Kansas City Before Reid
The Chiefs were the worst team in the NFL the year before Andy Reid was hired to take over. In the 14 seasons Reid was with the Eagles, the Chiefs had a 99-126 record and had made the playoffs only three times. The Chiefs did not win a single postseason game in the three playoff appearances and hadn’t won a playoff game since 1993.
They also had a total of five different head coaches during Reid’s tenure in Philadelphia. There was very little stability and even less success. When the Chiefs fired Romeo Crennel, they were looking for stability more than anything. Reid was the perfect candidate for the job in providing both success and stability.
Chiefs With Reid
Andy Reid and the Chiefs have been a match made in heaven. In his four years as the head coach, he has posted a better wining percentage than his time in Philly. His win percentage with the Chiefs is 67 percent and with the Eagles, it was 58 percent.
What was most remarkable about his first season in Kansas City was that the Chiefs went from 2-14 to 11-5 and made the playoffs. They lost the playoff game 45-44 to the Colts but the turnaround had the franchise and its fans optimistic.
Reid’s second year was not as successful as the Chiefs went 9-7 and missed the playoffs. The front office still believed Reid was the best man for the job.
His third season was vital in proving he could still lead an NFL team. After coming off a 9-7 season he was expected to improve and get them back to the playoffs as he did in his first year. The problems started in that third season when the Chiefs started the season 1-5 and Reid was officially on the hot seat.
Then everything changed. Kansas City finished that season on a 10-game winning streak and finished with an 11-5 record. Since that 1-5 start, the Chiefs are an unbelievable 22-4. He also led the Chiefs to their first playoff victory since 1993. His encore was finishing this season 12-4 with the Chiefs first AFC West title since 2010. The Chiefs also finished as the second seed and are contenders to make it to the Superbowl.
Hall of Famer?
It remains to be seen how this season will play out for the Chiefs but one thing is certain- Andy Reid sure can coach. Overall in his 18 years as a head coach, he has a 173-114-1 record in the NFL.
He has made the playoffs 11 out of 18 seasons and has gone 11-11 in the playoffs. He has yet to win the Super Bowl but there are always legendary players who don’t win a Super Bowl. It doesn’t take away from their greatness.
Regardless of how his career ends, Andy Reid will be a Hall of Famer one day. The Eagles thought they needed a new voice but the fans of Philly miss having a team in the playoffs nearly every season. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and the fans who pour into Arrowhead to see the Chiefs have been given a treasure when Andy Reid become the head coach.
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