KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Several changes already have taken place with the Kansas City Chiefs’ front-office and coaching staffs, with more likely to come, but another domino fell Friday.
The Chiefs announced that former Jacksonville defensive coordinator Joe Cullen had been hired as the defensive line coach.
We have named Joe Cullen our Defensive Line Coach and Brendan Daly will coach Linebackers. pic.twitter.com/PQ1oz6c0wR
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 4, 2022
He slides into the role occupied for the last three seasons by Brendan Daly, who will remain with Kansas City as its linebackers coach.
Cullen, 54, spent 15 seasons in the NFL as a defensive line coach — with Detroit (2006-08), Jacksonville (2010-12), Cleveland (2013), Tampa Bay (2014-15) and Baltimore (2016-20) — prior to becoming the Jaguars’ DC last season.
He coached in the college ranks, primarily as a defensive line coach, from 1990 to 2015, including stops with LSU, Memphis, Indiana and Illinois.
Cullen was arrested multiple times more than 15 years ago for alcohol-related offenses before he got sober and came to be regarded as one of the NFL's best assistant coaches, according to a 2018 profile in Sports Illustrated.
The first, in 2005 when he passed out after drinking in a Subway restaurant, led to his termination shortly after being hired at the University of Mississippi.
He was later arrested twice in 2006 before he'd ever coached a game for the Lions — first, after passing out naked in the drive-thru of a Wendy's, and again for drunk driving barely a week later.
Detroit suspended Cullen for the 2006 season opener and he entered alcohol treatment. After reaching a plea agreement, the NFL later suspended him for another game and fined him $20,000 under the league's personal conduct policy.
He spent 2009 with Idaho State after the Lions fired Rod Marinelli, viewed as persona non grata before Jack Del Rio brought him about with the Jags.
Cullen has rebuilt his reputation during the last 12 years and now joins a Chiefs team that has been to the AFC Championship Game in four straight seasons, including a victory in Super Bowl LIV and a conference title repeat in 2020.
Daly, who joined defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s staff after five seasons as an assistant in New England, also served as run game coordinator for Kansas City’s defense.
He replaces Matt House, who left after the season to become the defensive coordinator at LSU.
Quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka left coach Andy Reid’s staff Thursday to become the New York Giants’ new offensive coordinator under Brian Daboll.
Former Chiefs assistant GM Ryan Poles was hired last week as the Chicago Bears’ general manager. Poles was the executive director of player personnel and oversaw the club’s college scouting operations.
New Orleans plans to interview Eric Bieniemy, who has served as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator for the last four seasons, for its head coaching vacancy. A decision on his future could come this weekend.
Bieniemy has interviewed for more than a dozen NFL head-coaching jobs during the last four seasons, including with Denver last month.
The fact that he hasn’t been hired despite his success with the Chiefs was featured prominently in a class-action lawsuit former Miami coach Brian Flores filed this week against the NFL and several teams.
