When the Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to the Super Bowl on Sunday evening, head coach Andy Reid mentioned the challenge of going up against the Philadelphia Eagles. He would know how well their organization is run firsthand, as he was the head coach in Philadelphia from 1999-2012.
In order to win his second career Super Bowl, he’ll need to outlast the franchise that gave him his start in the NFL.
Andy Reid Eagles Coaching Career
During Reid’s first season as an NFL head coach with Philadelphia, the team finished 5-11. It wasn’t exactly the most promising beginning, as Reid would juggle quarterbacks that season. Veteran signal caller and current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson started nine games in 1999, while rookie Donovan McNabb started in six contests. Reid’s tenure in Philadelphia would be made or broken by how well McNabb would develop.
As it turned out, the former Syracuse University quarterback would turn out to be a star, and Reid would expertly utilize the skilled pieces around him. The Eagles would go on to have a winning record in each of their next five seasons, culminating in a Super Bowl appearance in the 2004 season. Philadelphia brought in wide receiver Terrell Owens, who would make a huge impact on their offense that year. Unfortunately, Owens was not 100% healthy for the Super Bowl, and the Eagles would fall to the New England Patriots.
Throughout the course of his time in Philadelphia, Reid would lead the Eagles to five NFC championship games. Although they did not win a Super Bowl during his tenure there, Reid’s longevity and track record with the Eagles makes him arguably the best coach in franchise history.
Andy Reid Chiefs Coaching Career
When Reid and the Eagles parted ways after the 2012 season, some thought that he would take some time to regroup and refresh before embarking on his next NFL head coaching job. As it turned out, the successful leader would jump right back into the mix the following season. He mentioned that he was looking to join another franchise with stable ownership and a well-run front office, and Kansas City checked both of those boxes for him.
Remarkably, the Chiefs have not had a losing record in any season since Reid joined the team. He has a career 117-45 record with the franchise. By comparison, Reid finished his Eagles career with a 130-93 mark. He was able to oversee a career rebirth for quarterback Alex Smith, who played extremely well before the team decided to pivot to Patrick Mahomes in 2018.
There are a few coach-quarterback tandems in NFL history that immediately come to mind, such as Brady-Belichick, Marino-Shula, and Montana-Walsh. Mahomes still has many years left in an already brilliant career, and Reid has shown no desire to step down anytime soon. It’s possible that the Kansas City brain trust will carve its way into NFL history, especially if they’re able to win Super Bowl LVII.
