These two Super Bowl coaches have deep ties to Boise State. One could be NFL head coach

Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Super Bowl LIX is officially set, with the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of 2023’s Super Bowl.

On Sunday, the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC championship game to continue their quest to become the first NFL team to three-peat, while the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC championship.

Although no players competing in this Super Bowl will have Boise State ties, there will be a coach on each sideline with very strong connections.

Former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore is in his first season as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator. His offense scored seven rushing touchdowns en route to the 55-point outburst on Sunday — both NFC championship game records.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs have Joe Bleymaier as their pass game coordinator. Bleymaier is the son of former Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier — namesake of the Bleymaier Football Center — and he played football at Bishop Kelly High School in Boise.

He’s been with the Chiefs for nine years, including stints as the wide receivers coach and pass game analyst for the Super Bowl wins in 2020, ‘23 and ‘24.

How did each coach perform this year? Both coaches have a wealth of talent at their disposal, so it’s no huge shock that the teams returned to the Super Bowl for a second matchup in three years.

Moore holds numerous Boise State records, including passing touchdowns (142) and passing yards (14,667). But his Eagles offense doesn’t quite mirror the gunslinging attitude of Moore’s playing days, or even some of the offenses he helmed with the Dallas Cowboys and L.A. Chargers.

Instead, the Eagles’ offense is pretty run-heavy. In the regular season, the offense ranked 8th in yards per game (367.2), while being 29th in passing yards (187.9) and No. 2 in rushing yards (179.3).

Star running back Saquon Barkley needs just 30 rushing yards in the Super Bowl to break the record for most rushing yards in a season, with regular season and postseason combined. The current record, 2,467 yards, is held by Hall of Famer Terrell Davis, which he did with Denver in the 1998 season.

Barkley became the ninth NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a regular season, gaining 2,005 even though he didn’t play in the final game.

Standing in the Eagles’ way of a first Super Bowl victory since 2018 are Bleymaier’s Chiefs, who are trying to do something no dynasty ever has — win three straight Super Bowls. Kansas City finished the regular season 15-2 — with one of those losses coming in the final game, when many of the Chiefs’ starters rested.

Despite that, the Chiefs’ offense has felt like it’s had a “down” year by their very high standards. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 3,928 passing yards in the regular season ranked No. 7, while his 26 touchdown throws ranked 9th. It was the lowest yardage total of his career, and he also threw 11 interceptions. The Chiefs’ 222.4 passing yards per game put them in the middle of the pack in the NFL, which is unfamiliar territory.

Their 32 points scored on Sunday against the Bills were a season high. But after being plagued with turnovers in the first half of the season, Kansas City entered the AFC title game having not turned the ball over for eight straight games. It was the longest active streak in the league until a Mahomes fumble in the first quarter vs. the Bills.

A head coaching job for Moore?

As the Eagles prepare for the Super Bowl, Moore is once again being considered for head coaching jobs. The 36-year-old coach was riding high after some good years in Dallas and interviewed for top jobs, but his final season with the Cowboys was not up to par, and he spent just one less-than-stellar season with the Chargers. Moore recently interviewed virtually for the head coaching jobs in Dallas, and with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints, according to NBC Sports. The Cowboys and Jaguars have made hires, while the Saints are reportedly flying to Philadelphia to interview Moore in person.

Coincidentally, Moore will coach the Super Bowl in what could become his new home: The game will be played Feb. 9 in New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome, home to the Saints. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni recently said that Moore is a “great man of character” and would make a “great head coach.”

“I think Kellen is very detailed in everything that he does,” Sirianni said. “Very smart. Played at a very high level and done this at a very high level, so can relate to the players in that aspect. (He) puts the guys in good positions to succeed.”