The Kansas City Chiefs have not been resting on their laurels this offseason, as they’ve already moved on from several coaches, and fans received news about one vacancy on January 29.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter was the first to report the news, informing: “Chiefs requested to interview [Las Vegas] Raiders RB coach Deland McCullough for their running back position.” Schefter added that “McCullough was with the Chiefs from 2018-20.”
So, technically, this would be a reunion of sorts — if Kansas City were to re-hire McCullough.
The Chiefs fired running backs coach Todd Pinkston on January 15, among others. Later, after Eric Bieniemy returned as the new offensive coordinator, the assistant running backs coach was let go, too.
In other words, KC cleaned house at this position group on the coaching side, and for good reason. The Chiefs’ RBs struggled in 2025, failing to provide explosiveness and big plays.
With Bieniemy — a running backs coach at heart — back in the fold, it seems possible that Kansas City could call upon another former member of his staff to help turn things around.
Raiders RB Coach Deland McCullough Was a Member of Eric Bieniemy’s Staff During First Stint as Chiefs’ OC
As noted above, McCullough was with the Chiefs from 2018 through 2020. It’s no coincidence that those were also Bieniemy’s first three seasons as offensive coordinator the first time around.
The Chiefs have never been a run-first offense under the era of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, but they did mix in the rushing attack more effectively with Bieniemy at the helm.
The former NFL running back and KC RBs coach led the Chiefs to a sixth-ranked rushing attack in terms of yards per attempt in 2018. Bieniemy — and McCullough’s — impact did lose some steam in 2019, but the yards per attempt numbers were back up to a top 12 ranking in 2020, and finished top 10 over the next three seasons from 2021 through 2023.
McCullough had already moved on at that point. In 2021, he served as the “associate head coach/running backs coach at Indiana,” according to his Raiders bio page.
He then spent the next three years at Notre Dame, taking on various roles like running backs coach, run game coordinator, and associate head coach. Per his bio, he was “named a finalist for top running backs coach in the nation all three years.”
McCullough joined the Raiders in 2025 and worked closely with first-round rookie and rising star Ashton Jeanty.
Potential Next Chiefs RB Coach Deland McCullough Has 2 Interesting NFL Draft Ties
There was one more interesting note within McCullough’s Raiders bio, and it involves two top running back prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“In 2024, McCullough led a rushing attack that ranked third in the NCAA in rushing touchdowns (45), fifth in rushing average (5.7), and seventh in total rushing yards (3,215),” the bio continued. “He developed and coached top 2026 NFL Draft Prospects Jeremiyah Love to 1,187 yards and 17 touchdowns and Jadarian Price to 787 yards and seven touchdowns.”
Both Love and Price could be options for the Chiefs in 2026, so a McCullough hire would add some built-in familiarity to the coaching staff.
Love is a first-round prospect who has been heavily mocked to KC; meanwhile, Price is expected to come off the board anywhere from late in round one to round three. Although they have different skill sets, both are expected to be two of the more dynamic RBs in what is considered to be a weaker class at the position.
So, if the Chiefs do elect to draft a new running back in 2026, Love and Price could certainly be at the top of their list.
Chiefs Looking Into Move That Would Swipe From Raiders: Report