Kansas City Chiefs Sign Pistol Offense Mastermind Chris Ault
By Josh Sanchez
Former Nevada Wolf Pack head coach Chris Ault has found a new job and this one is in the NFL. According to Dan Hinxman of the Reno Gazette-Journal, the Kansas City Chiefs have hired Ault as a team consultant. He joins former Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress, who has the title of “Spread Game Analyst/Special Projects,” on Andy Reid’s coaching staff in an obvious sign that the Chiefs plan to mix up things on the offensive side of the ball.
Ault, if you don’t already know, is the mastermind behind the Pistol Offense and the man who was a big part of Colin Kaepernick’s success.
In college, new Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith ran the spread-option, so he certainly has the athletic ability to run a spread-option/Pistol Offense in the NFL. After all, it is a copycat league and the Washington Redskins had some great success with the offense in 2012.
The Chiefs ran a little of the Pistol Offense all the way back in 2008 with Tyler Thigpen, but Smith and Ault could make it much more successful.
Kansas City will mainly run Reid’s West Coast offense, but Ault’s presence could mean an interesting wrinkle will be coming to their gameplans.
If the team can successfully implement some of the Pistol in their offense, they will have the ability to keep defensive coordinators off guard and have an advantage in the gameplanning. We will have to wait and see just how much of an influence Ault can have on Andy Reid and the Chiefs.