The Chiefs’ new defensive coaching staff is finally beginning to take shape. It was expected that some new position coaches would be hired under Steve Spagnuolo in the switch to his 4-3 defense. Both linebackers coaches from 2018 have already taken positions with new teams. We don’t yet know their replacements, but they will likely be revealed in the coming days.
There was some recent speculation regarding the secondary coaching position after Emmitt Thomas was removed from the coaching roster on the team website. When that speculation began, the Chiefs quickly added him back to the website without supplying his biography.
On Tuesday, Matt Lane of Arrowhead Pride discovered that a Wikipedia entry for David Merritt listed him as the Chiefs’ new secondary coach. A new report from ESPN’s Field Yates confirms that the team plans to hire Merritt.
Merritt had recently been hired by the Jaguars as an assistant defensive line coach but seems to be leaving that obligation. Merritt worked with Spagnuolo during both of his stints with the Giants, including the Super Bowl season of 2007. Merritt specifically coached the secondary and safeties during that period.
During the 2018 season, Merritt coached the defensive backs for the Arizona Cardinals under Steve Wilks. The Cardinals defense held the Chiefs to their lowest point total of the 2018 season (26). If Merritt can get the Chiefs secondary performing at that high a level, he’ll be a welcome addition to the staff.
It’s unclear what will become of Thomas in this move. He’s a former Chiefs player and a Hall of Famer, so I expect that either retirement or a transition to another role in the organization will be in order.
