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http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ry/441139.html

Whether he is Eric Price, Chan Gailey, Mike Shula or another possible candidate, the Chiefs hope to have an offensive coordinator in place by this time next week.

“I’d like to get the process completed before the Senior Bowl, but I’m not going to rush it,” said Chiefs coach Herm Edwards. Practice for the college all-star game in Mobile, Ala., begins on Jan. 21.

“We’re going to be as thorough as possible,” Edwards said. “When you’re talking about hiring a coordinator, you need a person who understands that position is an all-day, every-day deal. Whether it’s in the meetings with the players, on the practice field or at night with the coaching staff, there are a lot of demands on the person in this position. At the end of the day, it’s my job to make sure we’re making the best decision for our football team.”

Edwards wouldn’t confirm candidates, but sources indicated he has already met with Price and Gailey and may eventually do so with Shula.

The known candidates have diverse backgrounds. Price, the offensive coordinator at Texas-El Paso and son of UTEP head coach Mike Price, is unheralded, but Edwards appears to consider him a rising star. Price, 41, was once an offensive assistant for Edwards when he coached the New York Jets. Running a spread offense, UTEP averaged more than 30 points in three of Price’s four seasons as coordinator.

Gailey, 56, is a coaching veteran. Gailey in his 34-year career has coordinated offenses for the Broncos, Steelers and Dolphins and been a head coach for the Cowboys and Georgia Tech. He was fired at Georgia Tech in November after six seasons.

Shula, 42, is a mix of the two. The son of Don Shula, he was the offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay in the late 1990s while Edwards served as defensive-backs coach. He later became head coach at Alabama, where he worked with current Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle.

Shula currently is quarterbacks coach for Jacksonville.

“The key is really finding the right individual who understands our philosophy,” Edwards said. “As a coaching staff we all need to be on the same page. To me, it’s about our players and not a system, and we’re looking for someone who is in full agreement with that approach.”

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