Notre Dame associate head coach, ex-Chiefs RBs coach, can follow in the footsteps of Andy Reid's mentor with a national title win
A former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach has a chance to do something pretty special in the National Championship Game.The Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to kick off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the National Championship Game on Monday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET. It's difficult to reach the […]
A former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach has a chance to do something pretty special in the National Championship Game.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to kick off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the National Championship Game on Monday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
It's difficult to reach the mountaintop in both the NFL and college football, and few coaches can claim to have done both. The list of head coaches is pretty narrow. Paul Brown did it with Ohio State and the Browns. Barry Switzer did it with Oklahoma and the Cowboys. Jimmy Johnson accomplished it with Miami and the Cowboys. Pete Carroll managed it with USC and the Seahawks. It's almost just as rare to find assistant coaches who have won titles at both levels. Brian Daboll did it with Alabama and the Patriots. Jeff Stoutland and Mike Groh both did it with Alabama and the Eagles. James Cregg achieved the feat with the Broncos and LSU.
One who did it as an assistant coach in college and head coach in the NFL was Mike Holmgren, one of Andy Reid's mentors. He won a national championship game with BYU in 1984 under LaVell Edwards as the team's quarterback coach. He'd later win Super Bowl XXXI as head coach for the Green Bay Packers. That was also Reid's first Super Bowl win; he was Holmgren's assistant offensive line & tight ends coach that year.
That brings me back to the latest matchup in college football's national title game. Should Notre Dame defeat Ohio State, Fighting Irish associate head coach and RBs coach Deland McCullough could join Holmgren on that very small list of coaches who have achieved both as a coach.
McCullough earned a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs as the team's RBs coach in Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers. In that game, he coached RB Damien Williams to one of the most iconic and memorable Super Bowl performances from the position, delivering fans a win that some had waited a lifetime to see.
This year, McCullough can add a National Championship to his resume. He coached second-year RB Jeremiyah Love to a standout season, recording 148 carries for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns in 14 starts. He was one of the most electric rushers in college football. Love has been battling a knee injury over the past few games, but rest assured that he'll go out there and put the team on his back when necessary because he's been doing it all season long. He could be in line for that iconic and memorable performance that helps uplift the rest of his team, including McCullough, to a very, very special achievement.
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury update on key defenders heading into the AFC Championship Game vs. Buffalo Bills
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking quite healthy heading into the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills.
