Shula to interview for KC job

With Senior Bowl week on the horizon, the Kansas City Chiefs appear closer to naming a new offensive coordinator. Monday the team interviewed former New York Giants head coach Jim Fassel and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula is expected to interview sometime in the next 24 hours before the final decision is made.

According to our source, Shula will be Edwards’ final interview. Warpaint Illustrated has also learned that Chan Gailey is in Kansas City again today, interviewing for the second time. Shula and Gailey are reportedly the favorites for the job.

Shula was not able to meet with Edwards face-to-face until Jacksonville ended their playoff run. Saturday night the Jaguars lost to the New England Patriots.

The former Alabama head coach has experience as an NFL coordinator. He worked on Tampa Bay’s staff in that capacity from 1996 to 1999, meaning he also has history with Edwards.

But the biggest plus for Shula is the fact he coached Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle at Alabama. Shula was highly successful in designing an offensive scheme that worked for Croyle despite the lack of talent around the quarterback. Their time together peaked in 2005 when the Crimson Tide finished 10-2 with a Cotton Bowl victory.

Shula has been a rumored candidate for KC’s coordinator position since early November, when it became clear the Chiefs were going to make a change with the offensive staff heading into the offseason.

The negative on Shula is the fact his offenses in Tampa Bay never cracked the top 20 in yards or points. He never had a quarterback of Croyle’s ability to work with, however.

What might give Shula the edge over other candidates was the job he did this past season in developing Jaguars quarterback David Garrard, who threw only three interceptions all year. Jacksonville finished the regular season with an 11-5 record and won their first road playoff game at Pittsburgh.

This past year Kansas City’s offense ranked among the lowest in team history. The Chiefs need an overhaul of the offensive line and must add at least one more play-making wide receiver in addition to developing Croyle.

Edwards’ impending decision is not about yards, time of possession or offensive pizzazz. It’s about scoring more points in the red zone, an area in which the Chiefs struggled in 2007.

To date, Edwards has interviewed three other known candidates – Jim Fassel, Gailey and UTEP offensive coordinator Eric Price. The Chiefs expect to name their new coordinator before the end of the week.