New Chiefs coach Haley credits father for success

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whenever conversation at the Haley family dinner table turned to football, it was more than just talk.

It was education. While Dick Haley was personnel director at Pittsburgh and helping craft the great Steelers dynasty of the 1970s, Todd Haley was taking it all in.

Todd Haley rose to prominence this year as offensive coordinator for the NFC champion Aizona Cardnals and Friday, just weeks shy of his 42nd birthday, was introduced as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I would not be where I’m at right now without my father, or without having the father that I did,” he said.

He replaces Herm Edwards, who was fired at the end of a 2-14 season, and fills the NFL’s last remaining head coaching vacancy.

Dick Haley was personnel director at Pittsburgh from 1971-90 before going on to other front office jobs in the NFL.

“He knew what good was,” Todd Haley said. “And I’ve just always believed that was a big asset of mine, the fact I grew up in personnel, went to bowl games with him, went to practice with him, watched tape on the wall with him.”

One of the people who worked under the elder Haley in New York was Scott Pioli, who was hired as Chiefs general manager last month. Pioli became friends with his new head coach when the two were with the New York Jets.

“I worked for Todd’s father, who’s probably one of the finest personnel men in the history of the National Football League,” Pioli said.

“Todd has a very unique background, and something I told [Chiefs owner] Clark [Hunt] was important was finding a head coach who not only understands personnel, but understands scouting, understands football players.”

Haley inherits a team that lost all but two of its past 25 games and is joining a franchise that hasn’t won a postseason game since an aging Joe Montana was quarterback in the 1993 season.

“Todd is very bright,” Pioli said. “He’s extremely dedicated and very strong-willed. Those are the qualifications I was looking to partner with, Clark was looking to partner with, and we really feel Todd is the right guy and is going to do a heck of a job here.”

Edwards was considered a players’ coach by the Chiefs, but Haley can be combative and sometimes clashes with players. During the NFC championship game against the Eagles, he had a first-half argument with quarterback Kurt Warner, then a short blowup in full view of television cameras with wide receiver Anquan Boldin. He also had a spat with Terrell Owens when he was receivers coach in Dallas.

“It’s part of how I coach,” Haley said. “It’s part of how I motivate, and I like to think I’ve had some success doing it. But obviously, you’ve got to keep things in check.”