The Kansas City Chiefs filled an important opening in their coaching staff earlier this week, adding Matt House as outside linebackers coach after losing Rod Wilson, who filled that role last season, to the Arizona Cardinals. The move was reported by Ely Allen of ProFootballRumors.com via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
House has had experience in the NFL and at the collegiate level. He started his NFL career in 2008 as, a special teams assistant with the Carolina Panthers, then became a defensive quality coach for the Los Angeles Rams. After that he shifted to the college ranks, working as defensive coordinator for both Pitttsburgh and Kentucky.
He then joined the Chiefs in 2019 as a linebackers coach, then left to become defensive coordinator for coach Brian Kelly at LSU. Kelly fired him after two years, so House returned to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars as linebackers coach.
House returned to the Chiefs last year as a senior defensive assistant, so now he’s sliding over to coach a specific positional group. According to Pelissero, the Chiefs blocked multiple attempt to interview House during the recent hiring cycle, and they consider him an important part of their staff.
Kansas City’s linebacking group is considered a strength, but there is some instability to be addressed. Nick Bolton is considered a stud in the middle, and he had an especially strong second half. Leo Chenalt is stout as a run-stuffer, but he’s about to become a free agent, and the fact that he struggles in coverage could prompt the Chiefs to move on from him
One of House’s primary objectives will be to get more out of edge rusher George Karlaftis, who’s listed on the depth chart as a defensive end but often plays as an outside linebacker in many of the Chiefs’ schemes. Karlaftis was considered a potential breakout candidate as a pass rusher going into last season, but the sacks Kansas City was hoping for never materialized.
House will also work with Drue Tranquill, an underrated linebacker who plays both inside and outside depending on the defensive calls and the game situation. The key rotational and depth players at linebacker include Jeffrey Bassa, Kam Arnold Cooper McDonald and Tyreke Smith, and several of those players are also important on special teams.
This is a key year for the Chiefs defense after they faded down the stretch and failed to make stops and get off the field in multiple key situations.