Andy Reid’s upcoming season isn’t just going to be about rebuilding his players. For a team that is already dealing with a playoff elimination and injured starters, the Kansas City Chiefs just got dealt another blow: A major staff shakeup, with one assistant coach departing for the college ranks and his offensive coordinator reportedly on the radar for a head coaching job elsewhere.

As per reports, assistant defensive line coach Alex Whittingham will take up a job at the University of Michigan as their linebackers coach. The shift takes Whittingham’s coaching career to new heights. He will join his father, Kyle Whittingham, the new head coach of the Michigan Wolverines after replacing Sherrone Moore, and also his uncle Fred Whittingham, the new tight ends coach.

While that’s good news for the controversy-stricken Wolverines, the goodbye is going to be a bittersweet one for the Chiefs.

After playing college football for the University of Utah from 2013 to 2017, Alex Whittingham joined the Chiefs in 2018 as a defensive assistant, quickly earning more responsibility under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, moving from defensive quality control in 2019 to assistant defensive line coach by 2025. He won three Super Bowls during his time with the team.

In fact, in six of Whittingham’s eight seasons, Kansas ranked in the top 10 in points, elevating itself to a top-six scoring unit in the last three. Additionally, the team was also Top-12 in yards allowed per game in each of the last four seasons.

Reid had hoped that Whittingham’s skills would come through in the off-season approaching. But as abrupt as the move may seem to the world, the head coach was probably in the know all along, given his close friendship with his former BYU teammate, Kyle Whittingham.

In fact, when the former Utah head coach moved to the Wolverines, Reid was stoked.

“I think it’s great for the university,” he said. “I think it’s great move for him. That’s a win, win for both sides. I knew he wanted to still coach, and he’s going to do phenomenal up there. Just got to switch colors. He’s got to get used to wearing that blue again.”

That said, Whittingham’s departure may not be the only change to Andy Reid’s staff this offseason. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is also drawing interest for a head coaching position, potentially creating another significant hole to fill.

Titans show interest in Andy Reid’s OC

The Tennessee Titans are 4th in the AFC South with a 3-13 record. While they would look for new talent in free agency, they also want a new head coach to lead them in 2026, and their list of candidates includes Andy Reid’s offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy.

Nagy has been with the Chiefs since 2023, after a four-year failed stint as Chicago‘s head coach. In his first two years with Kansas City, the team won the Super Bowl and qualified for Super Bowl LIX under his third season as the OC. This season, though, the Chiefs have failed to qualify for the playoffs. Seeing Nagy run a successful campaign with the Chiefs, the Titans have expressed a keen interest in his skills and will be formally requesting to interview him.

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However, the offensive coordinator will also face immense competition. The AFC South franchise is also interested in various other coaches, including Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike McCarthy and a trio of defensive coordinators, Jeff Hafley (Green Bay Packers), Robert Saleh (San Francisco 49ers), and Chris Shula (Los Angeles Rams).