FEATURE STORIES

July 26, 2006

Head Coach Herm Edwards: A New Beginning to a Storied Franchise
 
By John Hepokoski
UW-RF Public Affairs

Out with the old and in with the new!

The Kansas City Chiefs come into the 2006 season with not only a new look roster, but a new man in charge. Herm Edwards joins the Kansas City Chiefs after several years coaching the Jets with hopes of turning around a franchise that has fallen short in recent years.

Edwards played for both the University of California and San Diego State University in his college days. As a senior at San Diego State, The Aztecs went 10-1 and showcased Edwards’ skills. Edwards moved on to be a NFL cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles where he played under the man he’s replacing, ex-Chief coach Dick Vermeil.

 After a solid playing career Edwards moved into the coaching ranks, starting at college and eventually moving to the NFL. This will be Edwards’ 27th season in the NFL and his record couldn’t be better.

His experience as an NFL player has allowed him to become the great teacher he is today. Edwards had many duties for many teams from 1972 up until 1996 when he became the assistant head coach under Tony Dungy for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Before head coaching, Edwards was most known for sculpting the Tampa Bay defensive secondary to fit the cover-2 defensive scheme. While with the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay’s defense was always ranked in the top five and often was the Bucs only reason for winning. Edwards can be thanked for how well the secondary panned out and how well he prepared them for the Super Bowl they would appear in three years after Edwards took the Jet job.

After 2000, the New York Jets came knocking on Edwards’ door and offered him his first head coaching job.

With the Jets, Edwards had a regular season record of 39-41 while leading the team to three playoff appearances and an AFC East Division title in 2002. Edwards was on the sidelines in 2004 when the Jets beat the San Diego Chargers 20-17 in overtime to record their first road playoff victory since 1982.

Edwards was fundamental in getting Jet teams pumped up with his fiery attitude and his love for the game. Last season Edwards coached the Jets to a 5-12 record. The poor results could be attributed to the loss of his starting quarterback and an aging running back.

Kansas City has something Edwards never experienced in New York, consistency and a loving fan base. Edwards inherits a team that has a stud running back for years to come in Larry Johnson, an aging but solid quarterback in Trent Green, and a huge pool of young talent. Edwards just might be the player’s coach that Kansas City has been looking for.