Meet the Gang, Part 9- Behind the Scenes

It's time to get technical, folks. We're going to appreciate the unappreciated. Today we're looking at the guys nobody ever thinks about. Here we have coaches that no one ever sees and no one ever acknowledges, but without them any team in the league could quickly become the Oakland Raiders. Since the Chiefs have flirted with such an abysmal fate lately, it's about time we met the guys behind the scenes and gave them some credit.

Mike Frazier- Statistical Analysis Coordinator- Mike was hired by the Eagles as their first full-time statistical analysis coordinator immediately after graduating Wooster College. This move joined Philly with other successful teams like Green Bay and New England who happily cut a check to someone for providing them in-depth mathematical breakdowns of the game. Not all teams in the NFL have succumbed to this growing trend. After Baltimore hired Sandy Weil to a similar position last year and used his input to win a championship, it just might start to catch on. Hopefully, Mike can bring KC the same kind of success with his number-crunching as Sandy did for the Ravens.

Barry Rubin- Head Strength and Conditioning Coach- Here's some exciting news- the Chiefs just hired a Hall of Famer to their coaching staff. Rubin was inducted into the USA Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003. This came during a successful tenure in Green Bay where those who worked with him praised Barry's efforts in running the intricate strength and conditioning program and helping the medical staff with injury rehab. In 2010, his talents were wanted in Philly by, you guessed it, Andy Reid. Andy brings yet another former Eagles coach with him to KC, but since this time it's a guy with HOF stamped on his resume, the complaints should come few and far between. If the Philadelphia Chiefs are the most athletic team in the league, fans won't mind it one bit.

Rubin brings with him his former assistant in Philly, Travis Crittenden. Before joining the Eagles staff, Travis served as the director of football operations and general manager for Competitive Edge Sports. At this training facility in Atlanta, Crittenden supervised pro players through off-season training and groomed college players for the NFL combine.

Bonus Coach: Kevin O'Dea- Assistant Special Teams Coach- Since I wasn't smart enough to write about Kevin alongside his supervisor, special teams coordinator Dave Toub, let's learn about him now. Kevin spent four years in the Coast Guard before enrolling in Lock Haven University and beginning his coaching career as a wide receivers coach in 1986. From there, he coached at Virginia and Penn State in various positions until being hired onto the Chargers staff in '94. Since then Kevin has coached for five other NFL teams and even spent time in the UFL with the Hartford Colonials. According to Toub, O'Dea is an expert in the art of kicking, so while Dave supervises the return game, it looks like Kevin will keep his focus on Dustin Colquitt and Ryan Succop.