Former Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli is back in football ... but not in the NFL.
Pioli has been hired by the University of Iowa as a consultant for the football program, as reported by The Athletic.
Pioli was the Chiefs’ general manager from 2009-12 after serving as the New England Patriots’ vice-president of player personnel. He was fired in Kansas City after the 2012 season and later worked with the Atlanta Falcons.
During Pioli’s tenure, the Chiefs won the AFC West in 2010, but posted losing records in his three other seasons — including a 2-14 campaign in 2012.
Pioli joins the college ranks amid big changes in structure and revenue distribution to athletes. Schools are now free to pay athletes directly.
Starting with the upcoming school year, each university can spend roughly $20.5 million in direct payments to its athletes, spread across all sports. This is in addition to scholarships and other benefits athletes already receive.
Additionally, power conferences like the SEC and Big 12 are launching a new enforcement agency to monitor name, image and likeness payments that since 2021 have come from schools and boosters.
The new organization is called the College Sports Commission and will exist as a clearinghouse for review of NIL deals exceeding $600. The aim is ensuring that such payments compensate athletes for their right of publicity, and are not used as inducements to recruit or retain an athlete.