Super Bowl LIV: Andy Reid finally wins the big one with the Chiefs

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — This one was for Andy.

Andy Reid now can add “Super Bowl-winning coach’’ to a resume that many already considered Hall of Fame-worthy. And fittingly, considering how long Reid had to wait for this, it wasn’t easy.

The Chiefs had to erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to capture Kansas City’s first Super Bowl victory in 50 years and the first title in Reid’s 21 years as a coach.

But with Patrick Mahomes leading the way, anything is possible. The Chiefs scored 21 points in the last 6:13 to win Super Bowl LIV, 31-20, on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium.

“No one deserves this championship more than Andy Reid,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said.

As the final seconds were winding down, the popular Reid got a Gatorade shower. It had to feel great for a coach who has been waiting his whole career to hold up the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

“It’s phenomenal,” he said. “I’m not sure it’s all sunk in. But it’s awesome right now.”

Reid, 61, has coached only two franchises, the Eagles and Chiefs, and his record speaks for itself. He’s 207-128-1 and has led his team to the playoffs 15 times in 21 seasons.

But he was 2-5 in conference championship games and lost his only other trip to the Super Bowl, falling to the Patriots by three points 15 years ago when he was coaching the Eagles.

The criticism has always been that he can’t win the big one. Reid changed that narrative Sunday, thanks to Mahomes, the game’s MVP, and a captivating fourth-quarter performance by the Chiefs.

“I told them I’d coach another 20 years if I could coach that group,” Reid said. “They’re a resilient bunch. I’m so proud of them.”

Reid was the sentimental favorite to win this Super Bowl all around the NFL, but especially inside his own locker room. All the talk during the week from Chiefs players and coaches was about how much they wanted to win the game for Reid.

Then they did it.

“He acts like a father figure in the building to everybody, and you appreciate that,” tight end Travis Kelce said. “There are days you see him in the building and you don’t see that guy’s car move. He puts his heart into what he does. I’m forever thankful for him for how hard he’s worked and for what he’s done for me.

“I just got a ring for Big Red,” Kelce added. “We’re married forever now.”

Reid became the Chiefs’ coach in 2013 and hasn’t had a losing season in Kansas City. The Chiefs were 12-4 in 2018 and had a chance to reach the Super Bowl, but they suffered a disheartening 37-31 overtime loss at home to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

It hurt, but Reid made it work for the Chiefs. He told them not to forget the loss and bring it into this season.

They did, and they showed resilience by coming back from at least 10 points down in all three postseason games during this championship run.

“I had two goals when I became the starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs,” Mahomes said. “I wanted to bring the Lamar Hunt [Trophy] to this family and this organization. The second-most-important thing was to get Coach Reid a Super Bowl trophy.

“Coach Reid is one of the greatest coaches of all time. I don’t think he needed a Lombardi Trophy to prove that, but this puts all doubt aside.

“We wanted to get him this trophy because he deserves it. He’s someone who worked harder than anyone I’ve ever known. I’m happy we were able to get that trophy for him.”