Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have won their second NFL championship under head coach Andy Reid, there can no longer be any debate about it: Reid is the greatest coach in team history.
As someone who remembers, respects and admires the late Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram, this doesn’t come easy for me. On multiple levels, Stram was an brilliant innovator, an incredible coach and a fine man. He should forever occupy a place in our hearts — not just in Kansas City, but throughout the NFL. But this franchise now belongs to Andrew Walter Reid. Some time ago, he exceeded Stram’s regular-season record of 0.619. It now stands at 0.722 — and has been earned during a much more competitive period in pro football history. Going into Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Stram still held one edge over Reid: his postseason record of 0.625 — including three AFL championships, two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl win. But with Reid’s 38-35 win over the Eagles on Sunday night, his postseason record in Kansas City now stands at 0.632. His recent string of success — five consecutive AFC championship games, three AFC titles and two Super Bowl wins — is clearly the most successful period in franchise history.
While it’s certainly true that quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ presence on the team has played a significant role in Reid’s success, it’s also true that Len Dawson’s presence on Stram’s Chiefs squads was a key factor in his success. Whether we’re talking about Belichick and Brady, Walsh and Montana or Shula and Marino, the simple fact is that it is impossible to fully separate the players from the coaches. Any way you want to slice it, Reid is the Chiefs’ all-time greatest coach. Time’s yours, Coach.
