3 former Chiefs selected as 2023 coach/contributor Hall of Fame semifinalists

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced 29 semifinalists in the coaching/contributor category for the 2023 class. A total of three former members of the Kansas City Chiefs have made it through to the semifinalist round. It’s a diverse group with a head coach, general manager and a scout all up for enshrinement in this particular category. The coach/contributor committee will reconvene on July 27 to choose 12 finalist candidates from this group of 29 semifinalists.

Here’s a quick glance at each of the three former Chiefs that have made it to the semifinalist round:

Lloyd Wells (Scout)

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Wells was the first full-time Black scout in professional football. He helped the Chiefs find and draft numerous players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) including Pro Football Hall of Fame players Buck Buchanan and Willie Lanier, who would contribute to the team’s Super Bowl IV win. Wells was with Kansas City from 1963 through 1974.

Marty Schottenheimer (Head Coach)

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Schottenheimer spent a decade as head coach of the Chiefs from 1989 to 1998, coaching the team to a 101–58–1 regular-season record with his distinct run-heavy “Martyball” style of play. He secured three division titles, seven playoff appearances, and a trip to the AFC title game, but that was the extent of his postseason success in Kansas City. Schottenheimer died at 77 years old in February of 2021 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Carl Peterson (General Manager)

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Peterson was president and general manager of the Chiefs from 1989 through 2008. He was behind drafting some of the greatest players in franchise history, including Neil Smith, Derrick Thomas, Dale Carter, Will Shields, Jerome Woods, Donnie Edwards, Tony Gonzalez, Gary Stills and Dante Hall. He hired Marty Schottenheimer, acquired Joe Montana and turned Kansas City into one of the winningest organizations in the league during his tenure, but they consistently fell short of success in the postseason.

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