Haley fired by Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have fired head coach Todd Haley after their poor season continued with a loss to the New York Jets on Sunday.

Haley led the Chiefs to the AFC West title last season but has not been able to repeat that performance in 2011 as his side slipped to a 5-8 record before he was shown the door.

Although Haley did have to cope with a spate of injuries to key players during the current campaign, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt believed that a change was needed due to a lack of progress.

“This was a difficult decision but one that we feel is best for the future of the Chiefs,” Hunt told Kansas City’s official website.

“Although there have been bright spots at different points this season, we have not made meaningful progress and we felt that it was necessary to make a change.

“We appreciate Todd’s contributions during his time with the club, and we wish him well in the future.”

Haley took over at the Chiefs in 2009 and built an overall record of 19-27 at the franchise, with the highlight being the division win and appearance in the play-offs last season.

General manager Scott Pioli added: “Todd helped this team in many valuable ways over the past three seasons, and I am thankful for his contributions.

“Unfortunately, we have not been able to establish the kind of consistency we need to continue to build a strong foundation for the future and we believe a change is important at this time.”