The Kansas City Chiefs have enjoyed a startling amount of coaching continuity over the last few years. For a team that's had the entire AFC on lockdown for the last seven seasons, with two championships and three Super Bowl appearances in the last three years, the Chiefs have proven able to hold onto a startling amount of their coordinators and assistant coaches.
That's not to say that some teams haven't poached the occasional staff member from the Chiefs' sidelines, but by and large, teams have overlooked K.C.'s coaching staff as a potential well from which to draw their new leaders.
However, a new list list of future head coaching candidates from Pro Football Network yields hope for one longtime coordinator and recalls a former Chiefs coach who might become a face to watch in the same category.
A list of future head coaching candidates mentions a veteran waiting quite some time and a former Chiefs quarterback.
PFN first identified Dave Toub as a potential head coach-in-waiting, which is not the first time such sentiments have been mentioned. The Chiefs special teams coordinator is also their assistant head coach, so such a leap wouldn't even be the sort of major step forward that it is for other less-seasoned options.
It's rare for a team to look to special teams leadership for its head coaching hires, but the move is not without precedent (e.g. John Harbaugh). Toub has even garnered some HC interest over the years— the Los Angeles Chargers have kicked the tires, as have the Denver Broncos—but most offseasons feature little mention or (publicly known) interest for the veteran coach.
Chiefs Kingdom will find another familiar face on the future head coaching candidates list in the form of Alex Tannay, the current passing game coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts.
Tanney first entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Chiefs in 2012 after setting Monmouth school records, including a D-3 all-time mark (at the time) of 157 career touchdowns. Known online as a trick shot quarterback, Tanney spent his year with the Chiefs on injured reserve. From there, stints with the Cowboys, Browns, Titans, Bills, Colts, and Giants gave him journeyman status before retiring in 2021.
The Philadelphia Eagles gave him his first coaching role as an offensive quality assistant in 2021 on Nick Sirianni's staff. It only took two seasons for him to take the reins as quarterbacks coach before being hired away by the Colts as the team's passing game coordinator in 2024. Given his options in Indy, Tanney has his work cut out for him in 2025.
As for the Chiefs' lack of coaching losses, the primary reasons are obvious. It's hard for outsiders to tell just how much of the team's success is dependent on having an all-time head coaching legend run the organization and the greatest active quarterback in the NFL running his plays. Such elements make it impossible to suss out just how much a Chiefs offensive hire might impact a franchise.
Still, for a true NFL dynasty, it remains a mystery as to how the Chiefs continue to hold onto their own Not that anyone in K.C. would complain. If teams want to allow so much knowledge and championship experience to remain intact, that's their (literal) loss.