KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Andy Reid was in deep negotiations with the Kansas City Chiefs to become their next coach, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The two sides were working out the details and Reid had canceled plans to interview for other openings, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations.
The Philadelphia Eagles fired Reid on Monday, the same day the Chiefs parted ways with coach Romeo Crennel.
The Chiefs have a connection with Reid through team president Mark Donovan, who spent six years as the Eagles' senior vice president of business operations before joining Kansas City. Several members of the Chiefs met with Reid, who has also been linked to openings in Arizona and San Diego, for close to nine hours on Wednesday.
Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt began his search for Crennel's replacement in Atlanta, where he interviewed offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter on Tuesday. One day later, Falcons coach Mike Smith said that Koetter had signed a new contract and would not be pursuing a head coaching job.
Hunt told the AP this week that he would lead the search for the Chiefs' next coach, not embattled general manager Scott Pioli. Hunt said he had "the appropriate resources available to help me in the process," but would not say who is assisting him. It's unclear whether Pioli would be retained if Reid becomes the Chiefs' coach.
Hunt's decision to spearhead the coaching search coincides with his decision to take greater control of football operations. Pioli had been responsible for all personnel moves since he was hired in 2009, including the hiring and firing of the head coach.
The opening in Kansas City is attractive on several levels: The Chiefs had five Pro Bowl players despite their 2-14 record, they have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft for the first time in franchise history, and it appears that Hunt is willing to give his next coach more authority to make personnel decisions than in years past.
The Eagles were just 12-20 the past two seasons, but Reid's overall record of 130-93-1 represents the most wins in franchise history. He also has experience turning around a program — the Eagles were just 3-13 the year before he arrived, and two years later they finished 11-5 and second in the NFC East.
That was the first of five straight years in which the Eagles won at least 11 games, and included a trip to the Super Bowl after the 2004 season.
Cardinals to interview Haley
TEMPE, Ariz. — With Andy Reid no longer in the picture, the Arizona Cardinals have received permission to interview Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley for their head coaching job, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person asked not to be identified because the situation has not been made public.
Haley, former head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, was offensive coordinator for Arizona in the Cardinals' Super Bowl run in the 2008 season and has a good relationship with Cardinals President Michael Bidwill.
Bidwill had identified Reid as a candidate earlier this week but the longtime Philadelphia coach, fired by the Eagles on Monday, was close to finalizing a deal to coach the Chiefs and called off all other interviews.
The other known candidates for the Arizona job are Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton and Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.
The formal interview for Horton was conducted Tuesday and Wednesday. McCoy is to be interviewed in Denver this weekend. Horton also interviewed with Buffalo and Cleveland and McCoy is believed to have interest from other teams, as well.
The window to interview McCoy is narrow because the Broncos are in the playoffs but have a bye this week.
Other candidates are most likely in the picture for the Cardinals, although no names have surfaced. The interview timetable suggests no decision until next week, at the earliest. The Cardinals also are looking for a new general manager to replace the fired Rod Graves. Steve Keim, the team's vice president for player personnel, is a leading candidate.
