Andy Reid Explains Why He Let Nick Sirianni Walk In 2013 As Super Bowl Offers Revenge For Both Coaches

Andy Reid spent his first 14 years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles before taking the same job with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. Now, just over a decade later, he will face his former team in the Super Bowl after beating the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFC Championship on Sunday.

In addition to playing against the team that chose not to keep him around, Reid will play against a coach that he chose not to keep around— Nick Sirianni.

The 41-year-old, second-year head coach began his coaching career in 2004. He had stops at Mount Union and Indiana University of Pennsylvania before joining the Chiefs as an offensive quality control coach in 2009.

Then-head coach Romeo Crennel promoted Sirianni to wide receivers coach in 2012. The former was fired at the end of the season, which left the latter's job security in limbo.

Reid took over for Crennel and chose not to retain Sirianni in January of 2013. It was a decision made about 10 years ago that is coming full-circle today.

It is one of the more interesting storylines of the upcoming Super Bowl that is already getting a lot of attention. Reid was asked about coaching against his former team and had nothing but good things to say.

Andy Reid can't wait for Super Bowl weekend.

As for his decision to let Sirianni go, Reid explained why he did not keep him on staff.

When I came here, I was told Nick Sirianni — this guy is really a special coach. Really, a good football coach. But I had David . David was my assistant head coach and he’d been with me for 14 years and so he was coming with me. And I had to make that determination to keep Nick or not.
And I knew being as good as he was and the reputation he had, I knew he was going to get something. So, it’s worked out great for him.

While not wanting to keep Sirianni as wide receivers coach because he already had one of his own makes sense, not choosing to explore where a "special coach" might fit elsewhere on staff is where the question lies. If Reid had heard all of those great things about Sirianni, why let him walk?!

Either way, it has worked out well for them both.

In some ways, the Super Bowl will be a revenge game for Reid against the team that didn't keep him. In others, it's a revenge game for Sirianni against the coach that didn't keep him.