Getty Former Bears coachMatt Nagy and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid have reunited in Kansas City.
Former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy is back with Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. Nagy will serve as senior assistant/quarterbacks coach, the Chiefs announced on February 25.
It was an expected move after Kansas City saw former QB coach Mike Kafka exit to become the next offensive coordinator for the New York Giants. Nagy had spent 10 years coaching under Reid previously before getting hired as head coach of the Bears in 2018.
Nagy went 34-31 in four seasons in Chicago, and 0-2 in the postseason, but some attributed the team’s moderate success during his tenure to a defense that finished No. 1 in the NFL his first season as head coach — the same year he won Coach of the Year honors.
Now, Nagy will be reunited with Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who he worked with during the QB’s rookie campaign in 2017 — and one top Chiefs insider dropped an eye-opening tweet about what the team may have in mind for the former Bears head coach in the future.
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Chiefs May See Nagy as ‘Andy Reid Successor’
Editor-in-chief of Arrowhead Pride Pete Sweeney noted via Twitter after Nagy’s re-hiring that he thinks the Chiefs may ultimately have big plans in store for Nagy:
“Expected Matt Nagy to return to the #Chiefs this offseason, but I thought it would be as offensive coordinator. He returns as QB coach,” Sweeney tweeted, adding this wrinkle: “Likely an unpopular thought but one I believe to be true — this is who the #Chiefs like as the Andy Reid successor … one day down the road.”
With Kansas City’s offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy signing a one-year deal to stay on in 2022, it’s fair to wonder if Nagy, who has been OC for the Chiefs before, will take Bieniemy’s place if and when he leaves. Bieniemy is expected to depart for a head coaching gig at some point in the near future, and it makes perfect sense that Nagy would fill that role again. But would the Chiefs name him Reid’s successor? That’s certainly possible considering Nagy and Reid’s history together.
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Nagy on Reid: ‘He’s Family’
It’s clear Reid, who turns 64 in March, and Nagy, who’ll be 44 in April, value each other and enjoy working together.
“We’re real with one another,” Nagy told ESPN in 2019 about Reid. “When you’re dealing with friends and coaches and players, you want honesty. And you want people to tell how they feel. I just think over time, we’ve told a lot of stories. I just have so much respect for him not only just as a coach but as a person and what he’s done in his life and the way he’s gone about it. He’s family to me. He’s one of my favorite people in the world.”
“He’s so mentally tough,” Reid added, in reference to Nagy. “He tries to get the best out of his guys. The guys know that. … He’s not going to hang his head. You know how he is. I mean, he just keeps going. He’s going to try to fix the issues and go with it. And that’s how he rolls. That’s the sign, I think, of a good coach.”
Here’s a look at Nagy’s complete coaching history:
- Philadelphia Eagles (2008–2009) — Coaching intern
- Philadelphia Eagles (2010) — Coaches’ assistant
- Philadelphia Eagles (2011–2012) — Offensive quality control coach
- Kansas City Chiefs (2013–2015) — Quarterbacks coach
- Kansas City Chiefs (2016–2017)– Offensive coordinator
- Chicago Bears (2018–2021) — Head coach
- Kansas City Chiefs (2022–present) — Quarterbacks coach & senior assistant
Other than his four-year stint with the Bears, Nagy has spent his entire coaching career under Reid, so he may wind up being Reid’s successor. Second-time head coaches also have had far more success than first-time coaches, as well, so this will be something to watch moving forward. Stay tuned.
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