The Kansas City Chiefs have lost a member of their coaching staff.
During Super Bowl week, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid marveled at the fact that his coordinators — mainly OC Matt Nagy and DC Steve Spagnuolo — were not offered HC positions around the league. And although that remains true, on February 12, Reid did see one of his positional coaches skip town in a lesser departure.
“The [Baltimore] Ravens are hiring Donald D’Alesio as their defensive backs coach, per source,” NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday evening. Adding: “D’Alesio spent the past four seasons with the Chiefs and is still only 33. A bright young coach.”
Not long after the news, Chiefs Digest beat reporter Matt Derrick commented on it.
Stating: “Great opportunity for Donald D’Alesio. Spent the past three seasons as safeties coach for Chiefs. Reading between the lines: can’t imagine KC letting D’Alesio leave if Dave Merritt has any interest in leaving. Good indication he’s staying.”
That’s certainly a silver lining for Kansas City, considering Merritt is known to be one of the Chiefs’ top positional coaches.
Background on Former Chiefs Safeties Coach Donald D’Alesio
D’Alesio becomes the second member of the Chiefs organization to leave in 2025, with the first being former assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi.
According to his bio page with the Chiefs, “D’Alesio entered his fourth season with Kansas City and third as the team’s safeties coach in 2024. D’Alesio served as a defensive assistant his first season with the Chiefs in 2021.”
After 2022 and 2023, D’Alesio was credited with his part in the back-to-back Super Bowl runs.
“The safeties room was led by S Justin Reid who was the team’s leading tackler with 95 tackles (74 solo) [in 2023],” the bio page reminded. Reid also had success as a pass rusher, and the safety room as a whole “contributed three of the defense’s eight total interceptions” last season.
“D’Alesio also helped to develop rookie DB Chamarri Conner who logged 28 tackles (24 solo), an interception, a pass defense and two tackles for loss,” the page outlined, and he did the same with rookies Jaden Hicks and Christian Roland-Wallace in 2024.
Earlier in his Chiefs career, D’Alesio worked with players like Juan Thornhill, Tyrann Mathieu and current starting safety Bryan Cook.
The rising coach also “spent the 2020 season as a defensive analyst at Louisiana State University after spending five seasons on the Youngstown State football coaching staff (2015-19). During his time at Youngstown State, D’Alesio spent time as the Penguins defensive coordinator, defensive line coach and defensive quality control coach.”
Before joining the coaching ranks, D’Alesio was a defensive back at Youngstown State from 2010-14. Per the Chiefs, he “totaled 274 career tackles while starting 44 contests and playing in 48.”
Ravens Target Chiefs’ Coaching Tree to Help Fix Major Area of Weakness
The Ravens defensive staff was totally picked apart last offseason, and the unit really held them back for most of 2024 as it found its footing under new coordinator Zach Orr.
Although Orr’s defense improved down the stretch, their secondary was probably their greatest weakness, allowing the second most passing yards in the entire NFL. D’Alesio will be brought in to help with that, as Baltimore poaches a member of the Chiefs’ coaching tree that stems from Reid and Spagnuolo.
As mentioned above, many have wondered why Kansas City coaches aren’t targeted more often, given all the recent team success.
Reid is seen as an all-time great HC, and perhaps there’s a bit of a Bill Belichick effect there were opposing franchises view him as the straw that stirs the drink, but you’d still think that more teams would try and emulate whatever the Chiefs are doing. After all, they’ve been to five out of the past six Super Bowls.
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