The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday that they have fired head coach Todd Haley, less than a year after the Chiefs captured the AFC West title.
The Chiefs have promoted defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel to interim head coach to finish out the season. Crennel was former head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2005 through 2008.
The Chiefs lost on Sunday to the New York Jets, dropping their record to 5-8, and Haley was hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during the game.
The Chiefs started the season with three lopsided losses, during which they were outscored 109 – 27, but rallied and then won four straight games. The Chiefs have been hit with a rash of injuries this season, losing starting quarterback Matt Cassel, on top of losses of starting LB Brandon Siler, TE Tony Moeaki, Pro Bowl S Eric Berry, All Pro RB Jamaal Charles.
The Chiefs have lost 5 of their last 6 games, and have not scored over 10 points in any of the six games (the one win was a 10-3 win over Chicago). They have the worst scoring offense in the league, averaging only 11.7 points per game.
“This was a difficult decision but one that we feel is best for the future of the Chiefs,” Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said.
“Although there have been bright spots at different points this season, we have not made meaningful progress and we felt that it was necessary to make a change. We appreciate Todd’s contributions during his time with the club, and we wish him well in the future.”
”Todd helped this team in many valuable ways over the past three seasons, and I am thankful for his contributions,” general manager Scott Pioli said. ”Unfortunately, we have not been able to establish the kind of consistency we need to continue building a strong foundation for the future.”
