The Chiefs employ three coordinators who were once on the head coaching radar only to have settled in as veteran assistants. After extending Steve Spagnuolo earlier this week, the two-time reigning champions have locked down their special teams coordinator.
Dave Toub has signed a new deal with the Chiefs, the team announced. This will allow the longtime Andy Reid assistant to coach a 12th season with the team. Reid brought Toub to Missouri upon taking the job in 2013. His new deal will cover three years, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.
Special teams coaches rarely find their way into HC consideration, John Harbaugh‘s 15-plus-year Ravens stay notwithstanding, but Toub was on that radar several years ago. The Broncos and Chargers met with him in 2017, and after the Colts’ Josh McDaniels choice fizzled a year later, Toub emerged on Indianapolis’ radar. None of those connections produced a hire, keeping one of the league’s top ST coaches in Kansas City.
The Chiefs checked in at 14th on Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings in 2023. After being ranked last in that cumulative score in 2022, Kansas City came through with two special teams plays to make its Super Bowl LVII win possible. Skyy Moore‘s punt return late in the fourth quarter against the Bengals helped a gimpy Patrick Mahomes — with a notable assist from Joseph Ossai‘s ensuing late hit — do enough to move the Chiefs into field goal range in the 2022 AFC championship game. Kadarius Toney then set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return, setting up a walk-in Moore score in the fourth quarter against the Eagles.
Toub, 61, initially coached with Reid on the Eagles from 2001-03. He spent the following nine season as the Bears’ STC. The Chiefs now have Spagnuolo going into his sixth season as DC and Matt Nagy — who joined Spagnuolo in not being tied to any HC jobs this year — set for his fourth year (over two stints) as OC. With the Chiefs set to eye the first threepeat in the Super Bowl era, Reid and his top lieutenants will all be back for that push.