Chiefs hire Deland McCullough to coach running backs

The Chiefs hired Deland McCullough for their vacant running backs coach position, a source told The Star on Thursday.

The position became available when Eric Bieniemy, who has served in the role since 2013, was promoted to offensive coordinator on Wednesday.

McCullough, 45, interviewed for the position Thursday. He spent the 2017 season as the running backs coach at USC, where he helped guide junior Ronald Jones II to a 1,550-yard season in which Jones also rushed for 19 touchdowns.

Before USC, McCullough spent six seasons as the running backs coach at Indiana, where his backs broke 19 school rushing records, including most rushing yards in a season (3,163) and most rushing yards per game (263.6) in 2014, when he was named the Big Ten Network’s Running Backs Coach of the Year.

Two of his players at Indiana, Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard, went on to become regular contributors in the NFL. Howard rushed for 1,126 yards and nine touchdowns for the Bears this season, while Coleman rushed for 628 yards and five touchdowns for the Falcons.

A third, Devine Redding, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs this spring and spent some time on the Chiefs’ practice squad this season.

Before his stint at Indiana, McCullough coached the position at the University of Miami (Ohio), where he also starred as a running back who set the school record for career rushing yards (4,368) and attempts (949).

This story was originally published January 11, 2018 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Chiefs hire Deland McCullough to coach running backs."