CHIEFS MAKE IT OFFICIAL

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced that Todd Haley will become the team’s new head coach. “We are very pleased to welcome Todd to the Chiefs,” owner Clark Hunt said. “Todd is an outstanding football coach with a proven track record of success at every stop in his career, and we look forward to his leadership.” “I am very excited that Todd has accepted the position of head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs,” General Manager Scott Pioli said. “Todd is an outstanding football coach and he has been an integral part of several very successful organizations. “Having worked with Todd in New York from ’97-99 and having been mentored by some of the same people, we have a shared vision of what it takes to build a successful franchise in the National Football League. He will bring passion, dedication and energy to Kansas City, and I am confident that this is the beginning of a partnership that will serve the Chiefs well.” Said Haley of the hire: “I am extremely excited and proud to be a part of the Kansas City Chiefs family and the Kansas City community. I am looking forward to working with Scott to re-establish the winning tradition that the tremendous fans in Kansas City deserve.” The move leaves the Cardinals without an offensive coordinator. But in a release circulated by the team, Ken Whisenhunt indicated that the franchise was prepared for the departure of Haley. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Todd and one that I know he is ready for,” Whisenhunt said. “He was a big part of the offensive success that our team has had over the last two years. Todd is a smart, passionate coach who gets the very best out of players and those attributes will serve him well as a head coach. For us, it is flattering whenever your coaches are sought after and is a byproduct of the success our team has had. I think it speaks to the progress we have made and will continue to make as an organization. “Obviously we knew this was a possibility and developed contingency plans. We now begin the process of activating those plans.” For Haley, his own plans will include continuing to try to come up with a way to beat the Super Bowl XLIII Steelers, since the Chiefs will host them during the 2009 regular season. Haley and the Chiefs also will face the Ravens, Browns, and Bengals, the Bills and Jaguars, the four teams of the NFC East, and the other AFC West teams, twice.