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Clark Hunt: 'Next Chiefs head coach will report directly to me'

KC Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said that he would not only lead the Chiefs coaching search, but that the new head coach would report directly to him. That has never happened in Chiefs franchise history before.

KCChiefs.com

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt fired Romeo Crennel on Monday morning and has not yet made a decision on GM Scott PIoli. Hunt spoke with the Chiefs website about the coaching search, a timetable on making a decision and how the new head coach will fit into the organizational structure.

A few highlights of Hunt's interview on KCChiefs.com:


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-A decision on GM Scott Pioli and the rest of the department will "come later". More changes could be coming.

-"We don't have a timetable" on making these decisions.

-"We're very organized," Clark said of the coaching search. "I'll be starting the search this afternoon. We have a number of candidates I'm very excited about."

-For the first time in franchise history, the head coach will report to Hunt. "I'm going to lead the search and I'll hire the next coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and he will report directly to me."

-"It is a significant change," Hunt said of the coach reporting to the owner. "I just feel it's so important that we get the right head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs and I think we'll have the best chance of doing that with a direct report to me."

Two reactions:

The coach reporting directly to the owner is unique. Outside of those guys who have full control over personnel, that doesn't happen that often.

Seems to me Pioli has been neutered a little bit if he sticks around. Picking the head coach is a big part of the GM's job. Pioli will not have that ability. I don't see any other way to look at it except that Pioli's power within the organization has diminished (if he's still there).

Update: Albert Breer of the NFL Network interviewed Hunt and has some more insight behind this decision:

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