The Las Vegas Raiders could be losing their running backs coach to an arch-rival within the division, as the Kansas City Chiefs have requested an interview with Las Vegas Raiders running back coach Deland McCullough, according to a report from Connor Byrne of ProFootballRumors.com via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
It’s not an unusual request, given that McCullough has been one of the last coaches to depart the sunken ship now that Pete Carroll and most members of his staff have left. McCullough will almost certainly be replaced by new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak after the Super Bowl, as Kubiak looks to bring in his own staff.
It would certainly make sense for McCullough to bail and return to Kansas City after the Raiders’ disastrous season given that he was the Chiefs running back coach from 218-2020. The running backs coach had a promising top ten pick to work with in running back Ashton Jeanty, but Jeanty struggled to find holes and running lanes throughout the season behind a bad offensive line.
As for the Chiefs part of this, it certainlylooks a little like a typical NFL “buddy hire” as new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy tries to get the band back together. McCullough (no relation) was the Chiefs running back coach from 2018-2020, and last season was his first with the Raiders. He returned to the college ranks after the 2020 season, coaching at Indiana and Notre Dame.
McCullough would face an intriguing challenge if he does return to Kansas City. The Chiefs has a subpar running game last year, and as a former NFL running back, Bieniemy would almost certainly be looking to change that, and given the history it’s worth a quick trip in the way-back machine to see who the Chiefs running backs were during his tenure.
The primary back in 2018 was Damien Williams, who went on a late season playoff run, and the other familiar name that season was running back Kareem Hunt, who was released during the season but starred this past season in a short yardage role.
Other familiar names include running backs LeSean McCoy and Le’Veon Bell, both of whom were added late in their respective careers, and there’s also the ill-fated top draft pick in 2020, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, whose performance was so mediocre that he seems to have convinced the Chiefs not to waste another top pick on a running back.
That question looms again for Bieniemy and head coach Andy Reid, but it’s far more likely the Chiefs add a Day 2 or Day 3 pick and try to coach him up. That would be McCullough’s job if he gets hired, and he’d be returning to a very different team coming off a 6-11 season after coaching for one that just went 3-14.