Chiefs RBs Coach Deland McCullough Leaves for Indiana Football
Kansas City Chiefs running backs coach Deland McCullough is leaving Kansas City to return to the college ranks, accepting a new role as associate head coach/running backs coach at the University of Indiana.
The Indiana Football Twitter account confirmed McCullough's hiring on Monday afternoon, one day after the Chiefs fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted that this move should "get him closer to his goal of being a college head coach."
McCullough's rise through the coaching ranks started at Indiana, where he spent six years as the running backs coach before spending 2017 with USC as the Trojans' running backs coach/run game coordinator. McCullough coached the Chiefs' running backs from 2018-20 and was a part of the Chiefs' offensive excellence over the last three seasons, including last season's Super Bowl LIV championship.
John Brice of Football Scoop broke down McCullough's connection to Indiana in more detail.
McCullough, who previously served as Indiana’s running backs coach for six seasons from 2011-2016 and overlapped in ’16 as Allen was the Hoosiers’ defensive coordinator, has emerged this coaching cycle as a prime prospect with multiple colleges interested, sources told FootballScoop.
He and Allen have maintained a strong relationship through the years.
Though McCullough has spent the past three seasons coaching the Chiefs’ running backs, advancing to the AFC Championship in Year 1, followed by Super Bowl appearances each of the past two seasons, he has primarily coached in the collegiate ranks. McCullough’s collegiate stops that precede his NFL time include a year at Miami (Ohio) as an intern in the program, the six seasons at IU and the 2017 campaign at the University of Southern Cal.
Monday night, McCullough tweeted out a goodbye and thanks to Chiefs Kingdom and the Chiefs coaching staff.
Read More: Three Takeaways From the Chiefs' 31-9 Loss in Super Bowl LV
