Unsurprisingly, Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards got the ax not too long after new GM Scott Pioli came into town, because it's been an NFL and coaching truism that you are what your record says you are, and Edwards was 2-14 last season and 15-33 in his KC tenure. That will get anyone fired in three season of work, particularly when he had a team split between the aging and the very young, and Edwards, for whatever reason, wasn't able to build them up.

It's not that Edwards isn't a decent coach who won't get another shot in 2010. He can get mediocre teams to the playoffs, I think; he just isn't great with rebuilding teams that have hit bottom. He's too cautious with the play calling late to take chances that might result in wins. KC could have scraped out five or six wins but for some heartbreaking collapses, and some of those go on the coach.

Now, as the last coaching vacancy in the NFL this off-season that anyone sane would want (yes, that's another jab at the Raiders), there are a bunch of names being thrown about, including former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan -- but that one was quickly debunked by NFL.com's Adam Schefter. Who's left? Arizona OC Todd Haley may be the hot candidate, Jon Gruden is out there, Minny DC Leslie Frazier could be a candidate -- and if anyone will take Jason Garrett off Jerry Jones' hands, he'd probably be relieved.

Chan Gailey is already on the staff, familiar with QB Tyler Thigpen, and probably cheap. Pioli is smarter than that, though. Dark horse? Miami DC Paul Pasqualoni, the former Syracuse head coach (pre-GERG) who used to work with Pioli when the latter was a GA at the 'Cuse. A name not mentioned in any of the articles is San Diego DC Ron Rivera, who helped orchestrate the rock-ribbed Super Bowl defense of the Chicago Bears and salvaged the detritus of what Ted Cottrell had wrecked this year.

The person I'd like to see least in the division (as a Broncos fan) is probably Haley, although he'd be a first time head coach.