First, the Kansas City Chiefs parted ways with their coach. Now, they’ve done the same with their general manager.
The Chiefs announced Friday that general manager Scott Pioli had agreed to step down.
“After several productive conversations, we made the difficult decision to part ways with Scott Pioli and allow him to pursue other opportunities,” Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt said. “Scott has been an invaluable member of the Chiefs family since joining us in 2009, and we sincerely appreciate his tremendous contributions over the last four years.”
The moves comes with the Chiefs reportedly on the brink of hiring Andy Reid as their new head coach to replace the fired Romeo Crennel. Reid was ousted earlier this week by the Philadelphia Eagles.
There is speculation that Reid wants to work with a personnel guy with whom he’s familiar. Several candidates have been prominently mentioned, including former Eagles general manager Tom Heckert.
Pioli, 47, became the Chiefs general manager in 2009 after moving over from the New England Patriots. The highlight of his four-year stay with the Chiefs’ trip to the playoffs in 2010 after a 10-6 regular-season record.
“The bottom line is that I did not accomplish all of what I set out to do,” Pioli said in a statement. “To the Hunt family, to the great fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, to the players, all employees and alumni, I truly apologize for not getting the job done.”
The Chiefs ended a disappointing 2012 season with a 2-14 record that included the agony of linebacker Jovan Belcher’s murder-suicide. Piolo witnessed Belcher shooting himself in the parking lot of the Chiefs’ training facility.
“I know that this was a difficult decision for Scott as well,” Hunt said. “He has a great deal of appreciation for the history of this franchise, for our players, coaches and employees, and especially our great fans.
“There is no way to overstate the level of respect and admiration I have for Scott on a personal level. His character, loyalty, integrity and commitment to a team are extraordinary.”