There's one big difference between this head coaching search and GM Scott Pioli's first one -- timing. The Kansas City Chiefs had several weeks before the season ended this time around to plan out A.) who the head coach will be and B.) who will be on his staff.
I mention this because they didn't really have that opportunity with Todd Haley. His Arizona Cardinals had gone to the Super Bowl so Haley wasn't even introduced until the first week of February, let alone organizing a staff at that point, too.
On that note, Pioli talked on Monday about what he's learned from the first time he went through this hiring process that he applied to this go-round.
"I think there was a chance and an ability to be more thorough at this point in time, from a timing standpoint, to figure out and interview more people and talk to more people than we had that the last time," Pioli said. "And there were a lot of things that were not only learned during the hiring process but over the course of the last three years."
Pioli indicated before they interviewed "well over half a dozen" folks in the last few weeks so the number of people interviewed in January 2009 was less than that (although "well over half a dozen" could be seven or 70 candidates).
My point in all this is that if timing was important to them then I wouldn't be surprised to see them adding to the staff sooner rather than later. Crennel says he doesn't know who the offensive coordinator will be (which means maybe not Bill Muir) nor the defensive coordinator, who could come from in house.
There could be only a few spots open on the Chiefs coaching staff. It's going to be interesting tracking who they can get to fill that position.