Andy Reid encouraged Sam Madison to go ‘home’ to Dolphins

Just over a week ago, we learned that Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Sam Madison — who had served in that position since Steve Spagnuolo became the team’s defensive coordinator in 2019 — was leaving to take a similar position with the Miami Dolphins.

On Wednesday, Madison — who still had a year remaining on his Kansas City contract — said that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid encouraged him to join the Miami coaching staff.

“It was something that he did not have to do,” Madison told reporters, via South Florida Sun-Times columnist Omar Kelly. “Meaning [that if] you look around the NFL, normally you’re under contract. Guys reach out to [the head coach] and try to get interviews and they’re denied because [you’re] under contract.

“But Coach Reid did call me and talked to me about the situation and was like, ‘Sam, this is just something unprecedented’ — that had never happened to him as a head coach. He understood — and saw my work ethic when I was in Kansas City — but he was like, ‘Your family is there. You played there — and you played there at a high level.’ He just wanted to give me the opportunity to go home and be closer to family.”

In a nine-year playing career with the Dolphins — which began when he was taken in the second round (44th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft — Madison was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and made the Pro Bowl four times, starting 127 games and collecting 31 interceptions (two of them returned for touchdowns), 77 passes defensed, nine forced fumbles and 14 tackles for loss.

But while the team — and the area — was familiar to him, the process of becoming an assistant coach for another NFL team was not. In Kansas City, Madison was serving in his very first coaching job.

“It was my first time being in that situation, so I really didn’t know what to expect,” he admitted. “I didn’t know any of the rules or anything like that — and I asked [Reid], ‘Coach, can you please give me some information or some guidance on what I should be doing or what should be expected — and things of that nature?’ Because my hiring process last time was totally different. He gave me a very good rundown of what to expect — and he gave his graciousness to have the opportunity to go out there and talk to the Dolphins.”

Dave Merritt remains with the Chiefs as a defensive backs coach. On Tuesday, the team announced that defensive assistant Donald D’Alesio was being promoted to become Kansas City’s safeties coach.