After this forgettable season, the Kansas City Chiefs did not waste much time shaking things up in their offseason. First, Andy Reid welcomed back a familiar voice by reuniting with Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. Now, according to new reports, the front office appears to be circling another familiar name, this time for the running backs room amid two coaching moves.

“Chiefs requested to interview [Las Vegas] Raiders RB coach Deland McCullough for their running back position,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported. “McCullough was with the Chiefs from 2018 to 2020.”

On January 15, the team fired running backs coach Todd Pinkston, along with other assistants. Then, once Bieniemy officially returned, the assistant running backs coach was also shown the door. The Chiefs completely wiped the slate clean at that spot. And frankly, it was hard to argue with the decision after the backfield sputtered throughout 2025, rarely delivering explosive runs or momentum-changing plays for Chiefdom.

And this reunion makes sense, as McCullough coached in Kansas City from 2018 through 2020, which also lined up perfectly with Bieniemy’s first stint as offensive coordinator. Even though the Chiefs under Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have never been built around the run, the ground game felt more balanced and purposeful during those seasons.

Looking back, the numbers support that. In 2018, McCullough helped guide the Chiefs to the sixth-best rushing average in the league. While that impact dipped slightly in 2019, efficiency rebounded in 2020 with a top-12 finish, then climbed into the top 10 over the next three seasons. Clearly, Bieniemy and McCullough understood how to complement the passing attack.

By then, however, McCullough had moved on. He took a leadership role at Indiana in 2021 before spending three productive years at Notre Dame, earning national recognition along the way. After joining the Silver and Black in 2025, he worked closely with first-round rookie Ashton Jeanty.

Now, with the Chiefs requesting an interview, the possibility of another reunion has suddenly put the running backs coach search front and center. But Andy Reid and the Chiefs are not stopping there.

Andy Reid makes two coaching moves

As the 2026 season comes into focus, the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff is slowly taking shape under Andy Reid. With several low-level assistants and quality control coaches moving on, the roster needed fresh energy at the bottom. Because of that, Reid turned to the college ranks, identifying two rising coaches who could strengthen the foundation of the staff and quietly impact the future.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, “The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to hire veteran defensive backs coach C.J. Cox as a quality control coach.”

Cox is set to work closely with Dave Merritt in the defensive backs room.

Meanwhile, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz added that the Chiefs are also hiring Nate Pagan as a quality control coach, giving Reid two new developmental voices to work with at Arrowhead Stadium.

Cox’s background makes the move easy to understand. He coached safeties at Coastal Carolina in 2025 after holding the same role at UAB the year before. Before that, he earned national recognition in 2023 as a member of the AFCA 35 Under 35. That honor followed a strong season at Kent State, where he helped lift the pass defense into the national top 50.

Back in 2022 and 2023, Cox worked with the Chiefs through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. Then, in 2024, he spent time with the Los Angeles Rams in the same program. As a result, Cox already understands the demands of the Chiefs. Now let’s know more about Pagan, too.

Unlike Cox, Pagan’s resume leans heavily toward offense. He began his career coaching wide receivers at SUNY Cortland in 2013 and 2014. After that, he moved to Stevenson, where he coached receivers and later coordinated special teams, developing three All-Conference performers in that phase.

Most recently, Pagan spent seven seasons at Villanova as the wide receivers coach. During that run, six of his groups produced an All-Conference receiver. He also coached Chiefs wideout Jaaron Hayek in college and later joined Chiefdom during the 2025 training camp through the Bill Walsh Fellowship.

Taken together, Reid’s two moves reflect a clear plan to build depth the right way.