KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Charlie Weis has agreed to become the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, according to team and league sources.
Weis could be named to the position within the next 24 to 48 hours, the sources said.
“Until a deal is done, I really can’t say anything,” Weis said from his home near South Bend, Ind.
“It’s not to be disrespectful of you or the Chiefs. I just think it’s really, really important for me, especially with the prospect of there being a relationship there, to make sure I handle this properly.”
Weis will be reunited with head coach Todd Haley, with whom he shared an office when both were young assistants with the New York Jets
. Weis also will be reunited with Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who was Patriots vice president of player personnel when Weis was the offensive coordinator for three Super Bowl championships before going to coach at Notre Dame.The Bears had also been in the mix to hire Weis as offensive coordinator but the Chiefs won out.
Haley ran the offense in his first year with the Chiefs after dismissing offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Haley had expressed a desire to find a coordinator so he could better manage his head-coaching responsibilities.
Weis was dismissed last fall with a 35-27 record in five seasons at Notre Dame.
“Charlie’s a guy I have a great amount of respect for as a coach,” Haley said Wednesday at his final news conference of the season. “He’s a coach that systemwise, I would say we’re as close as you can be. Charlie’s a guy I consider a friend and I’ve talked to throughout the year, no different from some of the other guys I lean on for things and advice.”
Haley has begun a staff evaluation and said he has already released offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris and defensive line coach Tim Krumrie. Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast may also be replaced by former Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Haley has been noncommittal about Crennel and Pendergast.
“No conversations in that order to this point,” he said.
The emergence of running back Jamaal Charles, voted the team’s MVP, gives the offense something to build on next season.
“I really believe we were able to lay a foundation for the Kansas City Chiefs,” Haley said. “We were able to set expectations for our players of what’s expected of them both schematically and offseason, in season and practice — the way we’re going to do things as a team on a consistent basis. I believe that foundation was laid.
“It was a very difficult year, a year we were able to make progress, as evidenced by the way the season wound down.”
The Chiefs are expected to be busy in the offseason trying to fill gaping needs, including defensive back, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive line and tight end.
They pick fifth in April’s draft. The could have picked third, but instead ended Haley’s rookie year on a rousing high by beating Denver 44-24 in the season finale.
Chris Mortensen is a senior NFL analyst for ESPN. The Associated Press contributed to this report.