Early jobs Reid had thought of becoming a writer, but continued to question Edwards about
football strategy, causing Edwards to suggest coaching as a career. After graduating from BYU in 1981, Reid spent one year as a graduate assistant on the school's football coaching staff; colleagues included Scovil,
Norm Chow, and
Mike Holmgren. He spent the next nine years as an offensive line coach with four colleges. During his college coaching career, Reid was on the staff of several teams, including
San Francisco State,
Northern Arizona University, the
University of Texas at El Paso, and the
University of Missouri. In 1986, as coach at Northern Arizona, he coached
Frank Pollack, who went on to play for six seasons with the
San Francisco 49ers.
Green Bay Packers (1992–1998) Reid was hired by Holmgren at the
Green Bay Packers in 1992, the same year
quarterback Brett Favre became a member of that team, placing Reid in the Bill Walsh coaching tree. In 1995, he became the assistant offensive line and tight ends coach, where he helped lead the
1996 team to a
Super Bowl XXXI win over the
New England Patriots. Reid was named the Packers' quarterbacks coach in 1997, replacing
Marty Mornhinweg, who left to be the offensive coordinator for his predecessor in Green Bay,
Steve Mariucci. Mariucci wanted Reid to be his offensive coordinator with the
San Francisco 49ers, but Holmgren prevented the move.
Philadelphia Eagles (1999–2012) during a game against the
Washington Redskins in December 2006 Consistent with his reputation for a focus on football details, Reid arrived at his interview with the Eagles with a five-inch thick book he developed on how he would go about running the team if given the job. The Eagles hired Reid on January 11, 1999; he was the second-youngest head coach in the league after
Jon Gruden and the first then to be hired as a head coach without first having served as an offensive or defensive coordinator. Some in the Philadelphia news media criticized the hiring, citing the availability of other candidates who had already served previously as successful head coaches.
Donovan McNabb era (1999–2009) As he set about leading the Eagles, one of Reid's first major decisions was drafting dual-threat quarterback
Donovan McNabb in the first round with the second overall pick, although Reid started former Packers' backup
Doug Pederson in the first nine games of the
1999 season. In Reid's first season in
Philadelphia, the Eagles improved their record by two games over 1998, finishing 5–11. Among the five wins was the team's first road victory in 19 games, 20–16 over the
Chicago Bears on October 17. In 2000, the Eagles posted an 11–5 regular-season record and won their first playoff game since the 1995 season, beating the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Philadelphia on New Year's Eve. In 2001, Reid was named executive vice president of football operations of the Eagles, effectively making him the team's general manager. Although the Eagles had general managers after 2005 (
Tom Heckert from 2005 to 2010 and
Howie Roseman from 2010 until Reid's departure), Reid had the final say on football matters. in
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in August 2008 In
2001, Reid's Eagles won the first of four consecutive
NFC East titles, the longest such streak in franchise history, and advanced to the conference championship game in
2001,
2002,
2003 and
2004, losing this game on the first three occasions. The 2003 team qualified for postseason play after opening the season with two losses, both at home, and was also the first NFL team ever to reach the conference title round of the playoffs after having been shut out at home on opening day. The 2004 team was the second NFC East squad to defeat all of its division rivals (
New York Giants,
Dallas Cowboys, and
Washington Redskins) twice during the same regular season (the Dallas Cowboys did it in 1998). The 2004 Eagles clinched the NFC #1-seed with a 13–1 record and proceeded to rest their starters for the final two games. After three straight NFC Championship losses, the team beat the
Atlanta Falcons by a score of 27–10 and made it to
Super Bowl XXXIX but fell to the
New England Patriots 24–21. The
2005 season was difficult for Reid as he sought to deal with wide receiver
Terrell Owens' flamboyant persona, which forced Reid to permanently deactivate him midway through the 2005 season. A couple of weeks later quarterback
Donovan McNabb suffered a season-ending injury, leaving the Eagles without the services of two of their star players. The Eagles lost eight of their last ten games and finished 6–10. With their third win of the season – a 23–20 win over the
Oakland Raiders – Reid passed
Greasy Neale to become the winningest coach in franchise history. The Eagles had a rollercoaster campaign under Reid in 2006. The season appeared to be lost by October with another season-ending injury to McNabb, turning a 4–1 start into a mid-season breakdown which left the team 5–5. After a 45–21 defeat at the hands of the
Indianapolis Colts, the Eagles were on the verge of elimination from the playoffs. Reid coached backup quarterback,
Jeff Garcia, and the 5–6 Eagles, to victories over a slew of NFC rivals including the
Carolina Panthers,
Washington Redskins,
New York Giants, and
Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles, at 10–6, won the
NFC East division title, as well as an NFC wild card game against the New York Giants. Their season ended at the hands of an opportune
New Orleans Saints team in the NFC Divisional Round. In the 2007 season, Reid led the Eagles to an 8–8 season. The Eagles failed to make the postseason. In the 2008 season, Reid's 9–6–1 Eagles managed to defeat the defending
Super Bowl Champion New York Giants in the divisional round, leading the team to a fifth NFC Championship game under his tenure, where they lost to the
Arizona Cardinals by a score of 32–25. He coached the NFC to a 30–21 win in the
2009 Pro Bowl. However, the team season was marked with tragedy after the death of
Jim Johnson, who had been the defensive coordinator for Reid's entire career and helped turn the Eagles into one of the NFL's elite defenses. (left) and Eagles quarterback
Donovan McNabb in August 2009 In the 2009 season, Reid failed to win a first-round post-season game for the first time in his career, with his 11–5 Eagles being eliminated by the first place
Dallas Cowboys by a score of 34–14 in the Wild Card Round.
Michael Vick era (2010–2012) Over the offseason, the Eagles traded longtime starting quarterback Donovan McNabb to the
Washington Redskins. With quarterback
Kevin Kolb sustaining a concussion in the season opener of the 2010 season, Reid named
Michael Vick the starting quarterback of the Eagles. In the 2010 season, Reid led the Eagles to 10–6 record in the regular season and qualified for the playoffs after winning the final game of the season against the
New York Giants with the
Miracle at the New Meadowlands. In the Wild Card Round against the
Green Bay Packers, the Eagles lost 21–16. Vick would be named
NFL Comeback Player of the Year under Reid's tutelage. Reid was named the
Earle "Greasy" Neale Award winner for the third time in 2010. Prior to the 2011 season, the Eagles made several high-profile additions in the offseason, including
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie,
Nnamdi Asomugha,
Vince Young,
Ronnie Brown,
Evan Mathis,
Steve Smith from the rival
New York Giants, and
Jason Babin. With the numerous signings in addition to the previous years' players, Young later enthusiastically commented during a training camp interview, calling the 2011 Eagles a "dream team". However, Reid and the Eagles failed to improve on the previous season's record, falling to 8–8 and failing to make the playoffs. In the 2012 season, Reid and the Eagles struggled to a 4–12 record, the worst of his head coaching tenure. The year also marked the first time the Eagles missed the postseason in consecutive years under Reid. The season ended with a 42–7 loss to the
New York Giants.
Departure and Eagles legacy On December 31, 2012, the day after the season ended, Eagles owner
Jeffrey Lurie announced that Reid's contract would not be renewed. Reid was the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL prior to his release. Reid provided encouragement to his successor as Eagles head coach,
Chip Kelly. Lurie said that Reid's induction into the
Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame was inevitable, and players gave their former coach a standing ovation during his last meeting with them. During his 14-year tenure with the Eagles, Reid compiled the best win total (120), winning percentage (.609) and playoff victory total (10) in team history. He captured six division titles and five trips to the NFC Championship game. During this period, no other franchise earned more divisional playoff round appearances (7) and only
Bill Belichick's
New England Patriots exceeded Philadelphia's 5 conference championship game appearances with 6. Despite his success, however, Reid was ultimately unable to lead the Eagles to a
Super Bowl title.
Kansas City Chiefs (2013–present) Reid expected the
Philadelphia Eagles to not extend him and was already preparing to hire a new coaching staff. Three teams reportedly had airplanes in Philadelphia to fly him to interviews. On January 4, 2013, Reid reached a five-year contract agreement to become the head coach of the Chiefs. That same day, the Chiefs fired general manager
Scott Pioli. Reid's contract made him the final authority in football matters, the same power he had in
Philadelphia. However, the Chiefs hired
John Dorsey a week later, who had previously worked with Reid as an assistant in Green Bay, as general manager. Reid and Chiefs owner
Clark Hunt announced that Dorsey would have the final say in personnel matters. That same day, Hunt announced that Reid and Dorsey would report to him on an equal basis; in the past Chiefs coaches reported to the general manager.
Alex Smith era (2013–2017) On February 27, 2013, the Chiefs agreed to trade their second round pick in the
2013 NFL draft and a conditional pick in the
2014 NFL draft to the
San Francisco 49ers for quarterback
Alex Smith. The deal became official at the beginning of the new league year on March 12. Reid would announce Smith to be their starting quarterback for the upcoming season. In Reid's first game as head coach, the Chiefs beat the
Jacksonville Jaguars 28–2. It was the widest margin of victory for the Chiefs on opening day since they defeated the
Denver Broncos in
1963 by a score of 59–7. In Week 3, Reid returned to
Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for a
Thursday Night Football game between the Chiefs and his former team, the
Philadelphia Eagles. As Reid walked out onto the field before the game started, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. The Chiefs went on to win 26–16 and Reid received a
Gatorade shower from his team. Reid went on to lead the Chiefs to a 9–0 record to start the season, tied for the best start in franchise history. Despite losing five of their last seven games, the Chiefs finished with an 11–5 record to clinch a wild card spot in the
AFC playoffs. In the
wild card round, they were defeated by the
Indianapolis Colts 45–44 after surrendering a 28-point lead in the third quarter. This was a remarkable turnaround from the previous season, in which the Chiefs finished with the worst record in franchise history at 2-14. Under Reid, the Chiefs recorded a winning record in the
2014 season, finishing 9–7. However, they failed to qualify for the playoffs. In
2015, the Chiefs were in danger of missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year after they lost five straight games to begin the season 1–5. Reid accepted the blame for his team's poor start and his future with the Chiefs was called into question. However, the Chiefs won every remaining regular-season game, finishing with an 11–5 record and a wild card spot in the AFC playoffs. Reid would go on to lead the Chiefs to their first playoff win since the
1993 season in a
30–0 shutout of the
Houston Texans, but the team was defeated 27–20 in the
Divisional Round against the
New England Patriots. Prior to the loss, the Chiefs posted an eleven-game winning streak, which is the best in franchise history. Reid was criticized for his clock management near the end of the game, calling no timeouts in a late fourth-quarter drive that cut the Patriots' 27–13 lead down to a touchdown but took the Chiefs 5 minutes and 16 seconds to score and left them with only a minute and 13 seconds to try and tie the game. Reid improved in the regular season with the
2016 Chiefs, who finished with a 12–4 record and clinched their division for the first time since 2010, as well as for the first time under Reid. The Chiefs went undefeated against their
AFC West rivals to secure the division title on a tiebreaker with the 12–4
Oakland Raiders and obtain a first-round bye in the playoffs as the AFC's second seed. The bye was the Chiefs' first since
2003. Despite the team's regular-season success, the Chiefs were eliminated in the
Divisional Round for a second consecutive year in an 18–16 loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers. Although the Chiefs were able to prevent the Steelers from scoring any touchdowns, they were unable to match the six field goals Pittsburgh converted. The Chiefs started strong during the
2017 season, winning their first five games to become the NFL's last remaining undefeated team, including a victory against the defending
Super Bowl champions
New England Patriots in the kickoff game. After their strong start, the Chiefs lost six of their next seven games, resulting in Reid conceding play calling duties to offensive coordinator
Matt Nagy. The Chiefs won their last four games to finish 10–6 and clinch the AFC West for a second consecutive year, the first back-to-back division titles in franchise history. The team ultimately suffered a sixth consecutive home playoff loss in a 22–21 defeat against the
Tennessee Titans in the
Wild Card Round. Despite holding a 21–3 lead at halftime, the Chiefs were shut out during the second half as the Titans scored 19 unanswered points to win the game. Following the season's end, Smith was traded to the
Washington Redskins in exchange for cornerback
Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick (78th overall) in the
2018 NFL draft.
Patrick Mahomes era (2018–present) The
2018 season saw new success for Reid and the Chiefs. Aided by the
MVP season of quarterback
Patrick Mahomes in his first year as the primary starter, the Chiefs finished the regular season as the AFC's top seed for the first time since 1997 and the first time with Reid as head coach by matching 2016's 12–4 record. Reid also extended the franchise record for consecutive division titles through clinching the AFC West for a third straight year. The Chiefs subsequently ended their home playoff losing streak by defeating the
Indianapolis Colts 31–13 in the Divisional Round, the first postseason win at home since 1993. With the victory, the Chiefs hosted the AFC Championship for the first time in franchise history, which they lost 37–31 to the eventual
Super Bowl LIII champion
New England Patriots in overtime. During the season, Reid recorded his 200th victory to become one of only nine NFL head coaches to win 200 games. With his 206th win at the end of the regular season, Reid also surpassed
Marty Schottenheimer for the most wins of an NFL head coach to not win a championship. The Chiefs again finished 12–4 in
2019 to win the AFC West for a fourth consecutive year and after defeating the
Houston Texans 51–31 in the Divisional Round, hosted the AFC Championship for a second consecutive year. Upon securing an appearance in
Super Bowl LIV with their 35–24 victory over the
Tennessee Titans, Reid became one of only seven head coaches to lead two different franchises to a
Super Bowl and the Chiefs made their first Super Bowl appearance since
Super Bowl IV in 1970. The 15-year gap between Reid's first and second Super Bowls is the second longest after
Dick Vermeil's 19 years. The Chiefs went on to defeat the
San Francisco 49ers 31–20, earning the franchise their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years and Reid's first as a head coach. Reid signed a contract extension with the Chiefs during their bye week in the
2020 season. At the time, the Chiefs were leading the AFC West with an 8–1 record. Three weeks later, they became the first AFC team to secure a playoff berth for the season. Kansas City finished with a league-best 14–2 record to secure the AFC's top seed. The 14–2 record marked the best in franchise history, in addition to being Reid's best as a head coach. During the postseason, the Chiefs defeated the
Cleveland Browns 22–17 in the divisional round and the
Buffalo Bills 38–24 in the AFC Championship to advance to
Super Bowl LV against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. The game ended in a 31–9 loss, with the Chiefs failing to score a touchdown and losing by double-digits for the first time under Mahomes. ,
Patrick Mahomes,
U.S. president Joe Biden, Reid, and
Mark Donovan in the
Oval Office following Reid's second Super Bowl victory in
Super Bowl LVII in June 2023 Following a Week 4 victory over the
Philadelphia Eagles in
2021, Reid became the first NFL head coach to win 100 games with two different franchises. Nevertheless, they won nine of their 10 remaining games, including an eight-game winning streak, to clinch the AFC West and the AFC's #2 seed. Reid also won his 227th game to surpass
Curly Lambeau as the NFL's fifth-most-winningest coach. In the playoffs, the Chiefs advanced to their fourth consecutive AFC Championship Game after defeating the
Pittsburgh Steelers and
Buffalo Bills, making Reid the first head coach to lead two different franchises to four consecutive conference championship games. Reid helped lead the Chiefs to a 14–3 record in the
2022 season. The Chiefs won the AFC West for the 7th consecutive season and earned a first-round bye as the top seed for the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs defeated the
Jacksonville Jaguars in the
Divisional Round and the
Cincinnati Bengals in the
AFC Championship to make the Super Bowl for the 3rd time in four seasons. Reid's next Super Bowl appearance,
Super Bowl LVII, pitted his Chiefs against the
Philadelphia Eagles, whom he previously coached. He led the Chiefs to a narrow 38–35 victory over his former team to earn his second Super Bowl victory as a head coach. In the
2023 season, Reid led the Chiefs to an 11–6 record and another AFC West title. Reid earned a spot in his fifth Super Bowl in
Super Bowl LVIII following victories over the Miami Dolphins in the
Wild Card Round, the Buffalo Bills in the
Divisional Round, and the Baltimore Ravens in the
AFC Championship, the latter two were on the road. He became the fourth head coach in NFL history to reach five Super Bowls. In the Super Bowl, the Chiefs defeated the
San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in only the second overtime game in Super Bowl history. Reid became a Super Bowl champion for the third time as head coach and the Chiefs became the first team to repeat since the
New England Patriots did it in
2003 and
2004. In the
2024 season, Reid led the Chiefs to a franchise-record 15 wins in the regular season. The team earned a first-round bye for the AFC playoffs as the top overall seed. Reid led the Chiefs to their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance following wins over the Houston Texans in the
Divisional Round and the Buffalo Bills in the
AFC Championship. He became the third coach to reach a sixth Super Bowl appearance. The Chiefs season ended with a 40–22 loss against the Eagles at
Super Bowl LIX in a rematch of the game two years prior. Reid became the sixth coach in NFL history to lose three Super Bowls. The
2025 season marked a down year for the Reid-led Chiefs. The team lost Mahomes during Week 15 against the
Los Angeles Chargers due to an injury to his
ACL and
LCL. The team finished 6–11, Reid's first losing season with the Chiefs, ending their run of 9 straight AFC West division titles. The team also missed the postseason for the first time since 2014, ending their streak of seven consecutive AFC Championship appearances. With
John Harbaugh of the
Baltimore Ravens and
Mike Tomlin of the
Pittsburgh Steelers vacating their head coaching positions at the end of the season, Reid's 13 years with the Chiefs made him the league's longest-tenured head coach with a single team. ==Head coaching record==