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KANSAS CITY Armani Watts Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Doug Pederson went through this grind a few years ago, juggling the demands of his primary job as the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs with overtures from NFL teams elsewhere.Matt Nagy went through the same process last winter.Now, Eric Bieniemy is getting his turn.The latest hot commodity for NFL head coaching jobs, Bieniemy spent the Chiefs’ bye week speaking with representatives from the Dolphins, Bengals, Buccaneers and Jets while turning down an opportunity to interview with Arizona.The Bucs wound up choosing Bruce Arians, but the other jobs remain open even as Bieniemy prepares the Chiefs to face the Indianapolis Colts in Saturday’s divisional round.Bieniemy declined to go into details about the interviews Wednesday, preferring to focus entirely on the only certainty in his professional life.But when asked about his latest sought-after assistant, Chiefs coach Andy Reid seemed resigned to the possibility of losing him.“I think you guys know I am a big fan of his,” Reid said. “I think he would be phenomenal.”So does just about everyone in the Chiefs locker room.Even though he played running back in college and the NFL, the affable and outspoken Bieniemy has been a crucial player in the development of first-year starter Patrick Mahomes . He has taken an offense that was good with Alex Smith under center and turned it into a record-setting group, one that hardly missed a beat with reigning NFL rushing champ Kareem Hunt was released midway through the season.He turned journeymen such as running backs Spencer Ware and Damien Williams into crucial players, and elevated stars such as wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce to another level.All told, the Chiefs scored 565 points this season, the third most in NFL history.“He has that mindset Dorian O’Daniel Jersey , work ethic and determination you need to be a head coach in this league,” Mahomes said. “I know he’s had the interest, but you know he will still be 100 percent in on what we are doing here. He would be an amazing coach, but I’m excited I still have him here right now.”Many of those traits are the same ones that catapulted Pederson and Nagy to head coaching jobs.Pederson parlayed his success under Reid into the top job in Philadelphia, where he once played quarterback for him. He wound up leading a team featuring backup quarterback Nick Foles to a Super Bowl title, and now has them back in the divisional round of the playoffs.Nagy inherited a struggling Chicago Bears franchise and went 12-4 and won the NFC North, and was a double-doinked field goal away from joining Reid in the divisional round.Those are just the latest branches in Reid’s impressive coaching tree, too.John Harbaugh led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl triumph, and rebounded from an ugly start to return to the playoffs this year. Ron Rivera has a Super Bowl appearance with the Carolina Panthers, while Steve Spagnuolo, Todd Bowles and Sean McDermott have had varying levels of success.“Who you start with really makes a big difference,” Harbaugh said. “If you start with people that do it the right way — good people, teach you the right things — it gives you a chance, gives you a leg up. And Andy, for me Derrick Nnadi Jersey , was a big part of that in every way.”Bieniemy has spoken numerous times about the opportunities that Reid has afforded him. Bieniemy was serving as offensive coordinator of Colorado, his alma mater, when Reid plucked him away to coach his running backs in Kansas City. And once Pederson and Nagy moved on to bigger things, Bieniemy was the easy choice for Reid to make his third offensive coordinator in four years.He’s proven himself just as creative as his predecessors, too, coming up with unique ways to use exotic formations. But his demeanor is far different. Pederson and Nagy were generally low-key, while Bieniemy’s voice can be heard quite clearly across three practice fields.Yet that unbridled intensity only seems to engender more devotion from his players.“He’s very detailed and he pays attention to everything,” Ware said. “If you take a look at his resume and the players he’s coached, and the way they play football, each and every play they get out there on the field. Having an entire offense with that same mentality is pretty exciting.”It’s been pretty productive, too.Notes: Shortstop Eric Berry (heel) did not practice Wednesday after working out on a limited basis the previous day. He missed the regular-season finale after spending the previous few weeks getting up to game speed. … OLB Dorian O’Daniel (foot/ankle) also did not practice Wednesday. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Emmitt Thomas announced his retirement Tuesday as the defensive backs coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, ending an NFL career that began as a Hall of Fame player and wound up spanning five decades.Thomas spent 13 seasons playing for the Chiefs, helping the organization to a pair of Super Bowl appearances and their only championship in 1970. The two-time All-Pro retired in 1978 and began coaching at Central Missouri State before moving onto the pros with the St. Louis Cardinals.He helped the Redskins win a pair of Super Bowls, and also worked for the Eagles Breeland Speaks Jersey , Packers, Vikings and Falcons, before returning to Kansas City in 2010. He’s been the Chiefs’ secondary coach ever since, first under Todd Haley and retained by Romeo Crennel and current coach Andy Reid.“My journey started in Kansas City, and by the grace of God I am able to end my NFL career here as well,” said Thomas, who was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. “It has been a privilege to work alongside the great coaches that have come through this building. Having the opportunity to coach so many talented young men in my time as a coach has been one of my greatest gifts.”Thomas joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of tiny Bishop College in 1966, just four years after the organization moved from Dallas to Kansas City. He helped the Chiefs reach the first Super Bowl as a rookie, losing to the Green Bay, before returning three years later.He had nine interceptions that season, including one in their Super Bowl triumph over Minnesota.Thomas continued to be a productive player until his retirement, then became a sought-after coach for defensive backs. He spent four years with the Cardinals, eight more with the Redskins and three with the Eagles before serving as defensive coordinator of the Packers.After a stint as defensive coordinator of the Vikings, he joined the Falcons coaching staff, where he got his only taste as a head coach. It was Thomas who was appointed interim coach after Bobby Petrino’s sudden retirement in 2007 Patrick Mahomes Jersey , and he rallied a broken locker room to a season-ending win over Seattle.He was retained by new Falcons coach Mike Smith the following year, then joined the Chiefs in 2010, a move that allowed him to bookend a playing and coaching career spanning 51 years.100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta“Over the course of a career that spans two leagues and most of the modern era of the NFL, Emmitt was a Hall of Fame player and one of the most respected coaches in the league,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said. “Emmitt will always be a part of our Chiefs family.”The 75-year-old Thomas’ retirement had been expected after the Chiefs, who lost in overtime to the Patriots in the AFC championship game, fired longtime defensive coordinator Bob Sutton.Steve Spagnuolo has been hired to handle the defense and is bringing in many of his own assistants.“It was an honor to have Emmitt on our coaching staff,” Reid said. “Having a Pro Football Hall of Famer lead that room and share his experiences as a player and a coach has been incredible for our guys. Beyond football, he’s a tremendous person, and I’ve enjoyed working with him and getting to know him.”