Chiefs retain Gailey, hire Gibbs

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs retained offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and hired former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs on Tuesday as new coach Todd Haley filled out his staff.

Also hired were Bill Muir, who was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for Tampa Bay, and Joel Collier, Pat Perles, Steve Hoffman, Clancy Pendergast and Dedric Ward.

Besides Gailey, those retained from former coach Herman Edwards' staff were Bob Bicknell, Joe D'Alessandris, Tim Krumrie, Brent Salazar and Cedric Smith.

The team said duties for the staff will be announced later.

Gibbs had been defensive coordinator at New Orleans the past three years and is a former head coach at the University of Oklahoma.

General manager Scott Pioli and Haley were hired after the Chiefs went 2-14 last season, the worst record in franchise history.

Gailey, a former head coach at the Dallas Cowboys, was forced to reconfigure the offense because of season-ending injuries to the top two quarterbacks. He switched to a quasi-spread offense to fit the talents of third-team quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

NFL.com Video

Todd Haley addresses the media after being named head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs' biggest weakness was on defense. Coordinator Gunther Cunningham resigned soon after the season and became defensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions.

Haley, the offensive coordinator last year for the Arizona Cardinals, may want to call his own plays, although that has not been announced.

Collier was with the New England Patriots the past three years. Hoffman's most recent job was as kicking coach and assistant special teams coach with the Miami Dolphins.

Muir, a 31-year NFL coaching veteran, has also coached with the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Detroit and New England.

Pendergast spent the past five years as defensive coordinator with Arizona (2004-08). Perles spent the past six seasons at North Dakota State and was offensive coordinator the past four years.

Ward was on Haley's offensive staff with the Cardinals the past two years.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

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