For the fourth consecutive season, Brendan Daly will be coaching in the Super Bowl.
Daly was the New England Patriots defensive line coach since 2015 and transitioned to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots in his four seasons with the team, and championship No. 4 could potentially come to him in Super Bowl LIV.
Currently, it seems as if he’s made the right choice by leaving New England and joining the Chiefs. Daly didn’t feel that way after leaving last season and he spoke about his departure on Super Bowl LIV Opening Night.
“I had no desire or anticipation to leave New England. I really didn’t,” Daly said. “And to be honest, it was a very difficult decision for me. That’s a hard place to leave. It really was, particularly after the success we had there and the relationships and the people. But there were a number of things that lined up all at the same time that led me here.”
The relationships built and culture in New England made it difficult to leave, but Kansas City is an ideal place to land at.
“It was a very difficult decision for me,” Daly continued. “My time there was so special, and my respect for Coach (Bill) Belichick and the organization and the people there is second to none. There were a lot of factors and a lot of things that kind of happened at the right time in the right situation, and here I am. I’m happy to be here. I’m excited about the opportunity to play in this game again, for sure.”
He discussed the changes he’s had to adjust to with the Chiefs.
“Obviously, your responsibilities, what you’re asked to do in terms of game-plan, in terms of day-to-day things have changed a little bit,” Daly said. “A lot of it is similar. I think just understanding how the organization operates and what the head coach wants, there’s certainly some differences there. Your role changes, and that’s your duty as an assistant coach is to figure out what the head coach wants and what the coordinators want and then do the best that you can to accommodate that.”
He has a tall task against the San Francisco 49ers and their running back committee. The 49ers were ranked No. 2 in rushing yards per game in the regular season with 144, and they’re No. 1 in the postseason with a whopping 236.
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