Jack Del Rio/Jeff Fisher — 32/1. Two coaches who have a history of building successful, hard-nosed defensive programs. The Chiefs already have a defense; they just don't have an identity. Both would be better fits in Miami and, in Fisher's case, Jacksonville. Each can be as volatile as Haley, which could be an issue for the buttoned-up Chiefs.
Bill Cowher — 100/1. It's a storied program with family ownership. On its face, that sounds a bit like the Steelers. The problem is that Cowher has had chances in each of the past few seasons, but like Tony Dungy, he doesn't seem to mind having a life and an off-season again.
Jim Zorn — 50/1. The current quarterbacks coach for the Chiefs had a 12-20 record as the Washington Redskins' head coach. At 58, he looks the part, and image clearly counts for something with the front office. But wins count more to the fans, and they ultimately buy tickets.
Tony Sparano — 1,000/1. It would be delightful to see the angry mustache of Sparano roaming the sidelines. And now that he's free from a frisky Miami Dolphins team, which shockingly seems better than the Chiefs, he could be called in for an interview. "Could" is the operative word here. You "could" also be called in for an interview.
Eric Mangini — 40/1. There is a shared history with the Patriots, but Mangini's 33-47 record as head coach of the Jets and Browns suggests that he doesn't deserve a third chance to steer a team's destiny.
Dick Vermeil — 50/1. If Bill Snyder can return, why not Vermeil? Frankly, it would be nice to see a coach show some emotion on the sidelines for a change.
Kirk Ferentz — 40/1. With his son heading into his senior year and an adoring fanbase in Iowa City, it's much more attractive to be on the side of the equation where you're feeding players into the league, rather than being judged on how they perform.
15/1 — Josh McDaniels. It's hard to overlook an 11-17 record as the Broncos' head coach, but is there a hiring that would stick more in the craw of Todd Haley than the man who found himself snubbed for an end-of-game handshake? He clearly believes in the same concept of character and molding a team as Chiefs' general manager Scott Pioli (witness the treatment of Brandon Marshall at the end of the 2009 season), and the media believe that he's ready to be hired away from the hell that is the St. Louis Rams. McDaniel's sweatshirts might be coming to town.
5/2 — Romeo Crennel. The interim head coach could get a second shot at leading a team. His initial stint at the helm of the Cleveland Browns didn't go so well (24-40), although doesn't that sound like another coach that Pioli worked with (Belichick was 36-44)? An injury-ravaged defense has shown flashes of brilliance this season, and Crennel clearly has the respect of the players. He understands what would be expected of the new head coach of the Chiefs and has three games, two within the division, to audition for the job.
Who are you putting your chips on to replace Haley?
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