The Kansas City Chiefs have a press conference every Monday afternoon during the season but this one was obviously a little different as owner Clark Hunt and GM Scott Pioli were there to announce the firing of head coach Todd Haley.
Pioli said that he and Hunt met after the New York Jets game on Sunday night to discuss Haley's future. They decided to wait until the morning to get together again and make their final decision -- Haley is fired. They said they hadn't had conversations about Haley's job until this week.
Hunt and Pioli said the timing is never great for something like this and Pioli said Haley was "professional and respectful" when he was told this morning.
The Chiefs haven't yet contacted any other coaches regarding the open job.
There weren't any big secrets revealed during the press conference. The Chiefs obviously didn't want to talk about certain things, like specifics (not that that should be a surprise).
I have a recap of most of it after the jump.
Pioli on Haley's reaction: "I don't want to get into Todd's reaction was...it was a private conversation. I have a lot of respect for Todd. I wouldn't want to characterize it but I 'll say this -- it was very professional. Not just Todd, but everyone was professional. That's probably the best way to characterize it -- professional and respectful."
Pioli: "Clearly I need to do my job better as well."
Pioli on his relationship with Todd Haley: "We had a good working relationship. We communicated as we need to communicate just like we did in the beginning years. I would say it's a good working relationship, we talked about work as we always did from the day he started back in '09."
Pioli on Haley and Crennel: "I know this. Todd is extremely passionate about football and these players and he was very focused on winning. I think Romeo has a lot of those very qualities."
Pioli on asking Romeo Crennel to become interim head coach: "We asked Romeo, we offered and he accepted. And I assume he will be one of the people we consider."
Clark Hunt: "Todd Haley was always himself."
Pioli on the timing to fire Haley giving him more time to interview new head coaches: "On a day like today, I find it a little bit difficult to think it's an advantage, or something exceedingly positive but it does put us in the situation to talk to people."
Pioli on the decision to pick Crennel: "Romeo's done this and Romeo's done it recently. I think watching the players and how they react to Romeo had something to do with it."
Pioli on whether Haley was a mistake: "I don't perceive as a mistake. Todd Haley's a good football coach, I'll say that. I think what we need to do is figure out which direction we're headed and how we're continue to make progress and how we can get some consistency back. Here's what's abundantly clear: there is accountability on my part as well. I made the decision...Clark gave me the ability to hire the head coach and we're in a place where this didn't work out. I need to be held accountable, I will be held accountable and we'll continue to move forward.
Hunt on the injuries this year: "Most years that's typical in the National Football League and as a team you have to find a way to overcome that. We weren't able to do that this year. Our play was up and down the entire season, and at times during a given game. Those really contributed to our decision, the fact that our play wasn't that consistent at all."
Pioli on whether Haley lost the team: "I didn't get that sense. I see a team that competed pretty hard week in and week out. I don't think he had lost the football team."
Pioli on the Chiefs progress: "We've made some progress over the last couple of years and then we've hit a point where that progress has slowed down. I think we have a good, strong core of players here."
Pioli on whether rolling with Tyler Palko affected this: "That was not an issue at all. What we were doing, that was not an issue with me."
Hunt on the Chiefs' job: "I would like to think that our head coaching job would be attractive."