Andy Reid is arguably the best head coach in the NFL. He is in the midst of his 26th season as an NFL head coach and is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. It can be said that Patrick Mahomes might not have become the player he is today had he not been coached by Reid.
The Kansas City Chiefs head coach’s journey in the NFL began working on Mike Holmgren’s staff in Green Bay. Reid coached the tight ends and offensive line under Holmgren. He was also joined by Jon Gruden and Steve Mariucci on the coaching staff.
Gruden was the Packers’ offensive assistant and wide receivers coach. He recently shared a hilarious story about Reid from his time on Holmgren’s staff.
Jon Gruden Shares Epic Andy Reid Story
Gruden recently appeared on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, and Will Compton asked him about his biggest rival among the coaches. The former Las Vegas Raiders head coach named Reid as his biggest rival and elaborated on what factors played into it.
“We’re on Mike Holmgren’s staff in Green Bay. Andy played for Mike Holmgren at BYU, so there’s kind of a teacher’s pet,” said Gruden. “So, we had this big board, me, Mariucci, and Andy Reid were young coaches at the time, and we would put the plays on the board with the formations, and these are the plays that we think should be in a game plan.
“Holmgren was always like, ‘Whose play is that?’ Andy goes, ‘That’s my play,’ Mike would put it in, and Andy would like, look at me and mooch like ‘I’m smarter than you guys.’”
Gruden later talked about a game the Packers played against the Chicago Bears on Halloween in the rain. The 61-year-old coach mentioned that Brett Favre ran for a 36-yard touchdown on one of the plays he designed, with which he was quite happy on the sidelines.
The rivalry between Jon Gruden & Andy Reid needs to be studied 😂 pic.twitter.com/npTpojzKdM
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) December 18, 2024
Gruden also mentioned how Sterling Sharpe iced the game on another play that he designed, which made him even more proud.
Gruden added, “So, we get on the plane, and Holm is sitting in the front with Ron Wolf, the GM, and I’m in the back… I got my beer, and I’m drinking it. I’m thinking, ‘God damn well, that was the greatest day of my life.’ Holmgren turns around, and he goes, ‘Hey, Grube,’ Calls me Gruber. ‘Hey, Gruber, come down here.’ I sit next to him. He goes, ‘Game ball, hell of a job.’
“I turned around and walked back to my seat. I see Andy Reid, and I go, ‘Game ball!’ I love competing, but when we competed against each other, and he was in Philly, I was in Oakland or Kansas City, I mean, I just used to love seeing him.”
Gruden and Reid loved to compete against each other and went on to win Super Bowls as head coaches in the league. While the Chiefs head coach is still going strong at the age of 66, his former colleague is showing his enthusiasm and love for the game via his YouTube channel and occasional appearances on Barstool Sports shows.
Gruden went 117-112 across 15 seasons as an NFL head coach. He resigned from the Raiders in 2021 after several of his controversial emails were leaked.
Reid Has the Fourth-Most Wins Among NFL HCs
Reid has won three Super Bowls and has had a legendary career. He is also fourth on the list of the head coaches with the most wins in NFL history. Here are the top five:
- Don Shula – 347
- Bill Belichick – 333
- George Halas – 324
- Andy Reid – 297
- Tom Landry – 270
The Chiefs, with Mahomes and Reid, will be Super Bowl contenders for years to come. When it’s all said and done, their current head coach could end up as the winningest HC of all time.
Kansas City entered the 2024 NFL season on a quest to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. They currently have the best record in the league and are in a good spot to achieve their primary goal.