Posted at 7:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 2, 2008
NFL: Chiefs fire offensive coordinator, 3 other coaches
Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have fired offensive coordinator Mike Solari and three other assistant coaches following a 4-12 season.Solari, offensive line coach John Matsko, receivers coach Charlie Joiner and running backs coach James Saxon were let go Tuesday after a season in which the Chiefs were among the worst offensive teams in the NFL.
Solari, Saxon and Joiner had been on the staff of previous coach Dick Vermeil. Tight ends coach Jon Embree and assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Dick Curl were the only offensive assistants who were retained.
Kansas City scored just 226 points, worst for a 16-game season in Chiefs history, and averaged 276.8 yards in total offense, second worst in the NFL behind San Francisco.
The Chiefs also managed just 1,248 yards rushing, their worst total in a non-strike year, and allowed 55 sacks, second most in team history.
Solari joined the Chiefs as the offensive line coach in 1997, a job he held under three coaches until Herm Edwards promoted him to offensive coordinator in 2006 when Edwards became Kansas City's head coach.
Joiner, a Hall of Fame receiver, and Saxon, a former Chiefs player, joined the team in 2001 under Vermeil. Saxon was the offensive line coach for St. Louis from 1999-2005 before moving across Missouri to join Edwards in 2006.
