At this time the Kansas City Chiefs haven't officially fired GM Scott Pioli but I can't think of one reason why Clark Hunt would keep him. Though Pioli clearly isn't the only reason the Chiefs currently sit at 1-5, he's a big (if not the biggest) reason for it. Pioli simply hasn't put the right people in the right positions to win.
When Hunt officially begins his GM search (assuming he hasn't already), there are a few things I hope he considers--these are things about which fanbases, bloggers, and talk shows commonly gossip and my thoughts on them.
First, it is somewhat common for fans to think of local talent when searching for coaches and GMs. Former Chiefs players and assistant coaches will no doubt be mentioned in the gossip columns. Fans desire these guys perhaps because they are known quantities and they naturally fear the unknown, or maybe they want to believe that because the enjoyed the guy during his time in that city and watching him develop they think they'll enjoy him in his new capacity upon his return. It's risky for fans to make that assumption. Most importantly, I don't want Clark Hunt to narrow his search only to former Kansas City players and assistant coaches because a better candidate might be overlooked. Furthermore, fans want to like the GM, and I fear that Clark Hunt, in the wake of the fiasco that was Scott Pioli, might make a hire in attempt to endear the GM to the fans.
Big mistake.
The best way to endear the GM to the fans is by winning football games. If the Chiefs win a Super Bowl nobody is going to care whether the GM who built the team has Kansas City roots or not. If Hunt believes that Al Davis' hypothetical nephew, a diehard, lifelong Raiders fan is the best person for the job, then that's the guy Kansas City needs. The Chiefs and their community of fans want to win, so when entertaining GM candidates the very last thing on my mind is whether the candidate has a background in Kansas City or with the Chiefs. I hope Clark Hunt feels the same way. It is a huge pet peeve of mine to hear pining for So-and-So because he "knows what Kansas City needs" or "understands what it's like to be a Chief." Give me somebody who knows how to build a winner and that's all I care about.
Concerning the talk of Bill Cowher, Brian Billick, Jon Gruden (or any other former successful coach), I'm really lukewarm on the idea, if I had to be honest. I spent several minutes today brainstorming highly successful, Championship winning coaches who were highly sought out and hired by other teams. Most of those guys were failures in their new city. Whether it be Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren, George Seifert, or Dick Vermeil, it seems NFL guys have trouble re-creating the magic of Super Bowls Past. In fact, I only thought of three guys who moved over to new teams and had success and none of them were in the NFL. The most obvious such hire was Phil Jackson, who won six NBA titles with Chicago before taking over the Lakers and winning four more. In MLB, Tony LaRussa won a World Series with Oakland then two more with St. Louis and Jim Leyland was a Series winning manager with the Marlins and has sustained regular season and some moderate post-season success with Detroit.
It appears prima facia that the way to go is to hire the young up-and-comer; the next "Bill Cowher" instead of the first one. I understand that is much easier said than done, but I hope it is something that Clark Hunt takes into consideration--for both GM and Head Coach (since we know there's no way the Chiefs can bring back Romeo Crennell for 2013).
That said, I have an unusual albeit enticing idea that could be the jackpot of the century if Hunt were somehow able to pull it off. It would be my dream scenario to hire on Bill Cowher (who coincidentally has roots in Kansas City, serving as the defensive coordinator under Marty Schottenheimer) to come in and coach the Chiefs for just three years. He would pick the GM, who would serve in that role in name only because almost undoubtedly Cowher would want to choose his own talent. But part of his job description would be to groom his own replacement--Bill Cowher, as head football coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, would be responsible for finding the next Mike Tomlin. Since it is somewhat doubtful Clark Hunt is capable of finding such a person, it would be ideal for him to hire a person who could not only tutor his own replacement, but hold down the fort until such a time his replacement is ready.
Am I dreaming, or could that actually happen?
Moving along to on-the-field issues there is no doubt in my mind the Chiefs have a plethora of talented football players. As a fan of the Chiefs, it would be easy for a reader to call it blind faith, but I know it to be true because several highly respected national NFL media-men have stated similar opinions. These would include Brian Billick, Peter King, Hub Arkush, and Bill Cowher. But if the Chiefs are so talented then why are they 1-5?
The entire roster equals less than the sum of its parts.
And that's a huge problem because what it tells me is that there are talented players on the roster who really aren't trying, don't care, or are otherwise distracted by something else other than winning games. Kansas City's next GM has to target these players and make some difficult decisions about them. Perhaps some trades or difficult cuts have to be made. Maybe a long-term contract or two has to be swallowed. I've never been in the Chiefs locker room or watched a practice so I wouldn't know where to begin, but I know if I were a consultant to the GM I'd really want to know if the Chiefs have any chemistry problems and I want to know whose players are who are causing the problems.
Clark Hunt, along with his next general manager, have their work cut out.
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