subject: Kansas City Chiefs Tickets - Meet The Football Staff [print this page] The Kansas City Chiefs are currently in the process of rebuilding their football program. They finished the 2009 season at the bottom of the AFC West with a record of 4-12. Whether a team is rebuilding or dominating, it is the players who get the most attention. Fans often can name every stat from a players' pro and college career.
The coaches can also get a fair amount of attention, but there is another set of people who rarely draw attention: those in football operations. For a rebuilding team, the front office often does the lion's share of the work bringing in new talent, which is key to rebound. Those who have Kansas City Chiefs tickets have likely noticed the fruits of their labor. Below is a little about some of the people behind the scenes.
Scott Pioli, General Manager: Pioli was perhaps one of the most publicized additions to the Chiefs lately. He joined the team in January of 2009 after a long stint with the Patriots. After a few years coaching in the college ranks, Pioli joined the NFL in 1992 as part of the Cleveland Browns' personnel department. He remained with the team as they moved and turned into the Baltimore Ravens in 1996. In 1997, he started with the New York Jets as their Director of Pro Personnel. In 2000, he started with the Patriots as their Assistant Director of Player Personnel and moved to Director of Pro Personnel a year later. In 2002, he became their Vice President of Player Personnel.
Joel Collier, Assistant General Manager: Collier has two decades of experience in the NFL, and he has been with the Chiefs since 2009. He has worked with Pioli before, because he coached for the New England Patriots from 2005 to 2007. Prior to working with the Patriots, Collier worked as a coach with the Miami Dolphins for a decade. He started in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1990 and from there had his first stint with the Patriots from 1991-1993.
Phil Emery, Director of College Scouting: Emery has worked in the NFL for 13 years. His coaching career began in 1981 as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan. He moved to coaching at a variety of colleges like Georgetown, Western New Mexico and Tennessee. He then moved to the Director of Strength and Conditioning Services and Associate Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1991 to 1998. He entered the NFL as a scout for the Chicago Bears in 1998 and has also worked with the Atlanta Falcons.
Ray Farmer, Director of Pro Personnel: Farmer also has a history with the Falcons, working as a Pro Scout there from 2002 to 2005. He also has history as a player in the NFL. He was a linebacker for three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before a career-ending knee injury.
Katie Douglas, Director of Player Development: Upon finishing her Masters of Education in Counseling/Sports Psychology from Boston University, Douglas started working for a private law firm in New York. She then took a job working in Player and Employee Development for the NFL. From there, she had a stint with the Patriots. The 2010 season is her first with the Chiefs.
