Chiefs Coach Recalls Life as a Quality-Control Coach

by Joel Thorman on Sep 29, 2009 9:45 AM CDT in 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Campaign

Every coach has a story of how he started in the NFL. Eric Mangini was a ball boy with the Cleveland Browns. Bill Belichick took a $25-per-week job with the Baltimore Colts as an assistant. Jon Gruden was an assistant getting paid $500-per-month before getting his shot.

For Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley, the beginning includes a stop as a quality-control coach. If you're like me, then you've always wondered: What the heck does a quality-control coach do?

Playing gofer at practice
Fetching coffee
Transferring plays to the computer
Breaking down film up to five weeks in advance

And basically any other tasks you can think of.

"We worked quadruple everybody else, but we got to feel like a coach," Haley said . "We had responsibility. It’s the greatest job in football as far as learning."

Greg Bishop of the New York Times has a very interesting look at the life of a quality-control coach.

"Haley shared a 6-by-6-foot office with the wide-bodied Charlie Weis and a cot," Bishop writes. "He ran penalty laps with Mangini whenever they messed up the practice schedule made by Bill Parcells. Even Kotwica performed duties unique to quality control, like picking up the cane of the special-teams coordinator Mike Westhoff when he threw it in anger."

Current Dolphins head coach, Tony Sparano, said it was the most "valuable experience I had." Like Haley, he said there's no better way to introduce yourself to the NFL.

It's a really interesting piece and it's worth a read. Judging by the article, life as a quality-control coach may be where Haley developed his tireless work ethic.

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I'll never question Haley's work ethic - ever!

his tactics, his methods, his venting of anger at the players (especially in public), his play-calling, his timing in firing Chan Gailey, his practice of demoting players on an almost daily basis as a “motivational” tool – you bet, pretty much ALL of those leave a bad taste in my mouth – but his work ethic is great!

I have to wonder: since Haley drops players on the depth chart all the time, and since he’s admitted some of his own mistakes (bravo!) and since he (claims to) holds himself accountable … who’s going to drop Haley on the depth chart, and when?

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Sep 29, 2009 10:04 AM CDT reply actions

"his venting of anger at the players (especially in public),"

by flyin_squirl on Sep 29, 2009 10:16 AM CDT reply actions

Listen to anyone who has ever played in the NFL… Coaches yell all the time at players like Haley does. Maybe not the HC in most cases but Haley is very young in the NFL compared to a lot of NFL coaches.

You think Mike Ditka, Tom Coughlin, Jon Gruden, Mike Singletary and Bill Parcells dont/didnt yell at his players early in his coaching days? I just get really tired of people who think that this is something that is not the norm in the NFL.

Go to another stadium an sit mid field, a couple of rows up and listen to coaches go off! Dont take your kids but if you do make sure you know “Ear muffs”(Old School refernence for some people)

Haley has a camera on his the entire game(so does every HC) so they can make sure they get the good stuff. Haley will figure out that at some point you cant degrade men all the time but he is too young to realize that as a HC!

by flyin_squirl on Sep 29, 2009 10:24 AM CDT up reply actions

"you cant degrade men all the time"

well yeah, that was kinda the point I was trying to make … good observation … this isn’t the first time I’ve said it, either, nor am I the only APer who’s said it, for that matter …

you made a good point that Haley has much to learn (as have others) about being a Head Coach in the NFL, and I won’t disagree, he does … I hope he DOES become a VERY good HC, and I hope it’s here in KC, but he needs to adapt and change quickly or it’s gonna be all over before it gets started

the only other thing I wonder is this: is Haley really HC material or is he perhaps best suited as an OC? think Herm, who’d make a fantastic Secondary Coach that nobody wants as HC … is the Peter Principle in play here? has Haley bitten off more than he can chew? time will tell, and I do hope Haley learns well

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Sep 29, 2009 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions

I Think He Has

Although I think he’d be better if he wasn’t trying to do three full-time jobs at once. He’s spread himself far too thin, especially as a rookie head coach, and it’s showing up in both the players’ preparation and I suspect the feedback players get from the coach.

Jon Yoon’s article today summed up my thoughts about this pretty well.

Moderator - Arrowhead Pride
Predictions for 2009

1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West. Revision: We go 5-11 and finish behind Oakland.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
8. The Chiefs will have a bottom 10 defense this year.
9. RB will be a problem area this season on offense.

by UCrawford on Sep 29, 2009 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions