A tale of two seasons...
I'll do radio shows a few times a week and inevitably one of the questions people ask is what's the relationship between Todd Haley and Scott Pioli like, considering some of the things we've read and heard this season. My answer, since I don't really have any insider info on that, has pretty much been the same: when you're winning, life is good and no one has any problems with each other but when you're losing, tension will always pop up.
That's basically what we're seeing in KC now that we've seen 0-3 and a three-game winning streak.
A few weeks ago when the Chiefs were struggling, Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports wrote a story saying Pioli and Haley's inability to get along is the worst kept secret in the league. Kevin Kietzmann predicted Haley wouldn't make it through the season based off a passage in Michael Holley's new book, 'War Room' (which Holley clarified). Nick Wright said Pioli was about to fire Haley (which Pioli said was "100 percent false"). People were blaming Haley. Others were blaming Pioli. All hell seemed to be breaking loose from an outsider's perspective.
But then the Chiefs started winning -- three in a row, if you haven't heard -- and, you know what, we haven't really heard any of that stuff anymore. The opposite, actually. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt spoke to the KC Star -- read the full story here -- and I came away with a few observations.
First, I feel even stronger now that Haley will be coaching the Chiefs next season. He's reportedly in the third year of a four-year deal and teams generally extend a coach or let him go before entering the final year of a contract so you don't get a lame duck situation. The Chiefs want continuity and after reading the interview, combined with past statements by Hunt, I would be surprised if Haley wasn't coaching the Chiefs in 2012 (barring a 10-game losing streak).
Second, I think this line from Hunt says a lot about the future: "I've seen both of them grow tremendously over the past 2 1/2 years that they've been here. Are they as good as they're going to be two or three years from now? Probably not." Maybe I'm reading too much into that line but Hunt is already looking multiple years down the line with these two at the helm. Continuity is one of the words he uses in the story, and has used for a few years.
Third, I can see how this seems like a "dreaded vote of confidence" situation but I don't view it like that. From conversations with others around the league, I really do feel like Hunt means it when he says he wants continuity.
Of course, we'll find out if I'm right or wrong in just a few months at the end of the season.