Matt Nagy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matt Nagy

Nagy in 2023
Kansas City Chiefs
Position:	Offensive coordinator
Personal information
Born:	(1978-04-24) April 24, 1978 (age 47) Dunellen, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Manheim Central (Manheim, Pennsylvania)
College:	Delaware (1996–2000)
Undrafted:	2001
Career history
As player:
New York Dragons (2002–2003) Carolina Cobras (2004) Georgia Force (2005–2006) Columbus Destroyers (2007–2008) Philadelphia Eagles (2009)*
As coach:
Manheim Central HS (PA) (2001) Quarterbacks coach Cedar Crest HS (PA) (2002–2003) Quarterbacks coach Palmyra Area HS (PA) (2008–2009) Offensive coordinator Philadelphia Eagles (2008–2009) Coaching intern Philadelphia Eagles (2010) Coaches' assistant Philadelphia Eagles (2011) Offensive quality control coach Kansas City Chiefs (2013) Quarterbacks coach Kansas City Chiefs (2016) Offensive coordinator Chicago Bears (2018) Head coach Kansas City Chiefs (2022) Senior assistant & quarterbacks coach Kansas City Chiefs (2023–present) Offensive coordinator
Career highlights and awards
As player: Third-team I-AA All-American (2000) First-team All-A-10 (2000) Second-team All-Arena (2005) As coach: 2× Super Bowl champion (LVII, LVIII) AP NFL Coach of the Year (2018) PFWA Coach of the Year (2018)
Career Arena statistics
TD–INT: 374–55 Passing yards: 18,866 Passer rating: 115.11
Head coaching record
Regular season:	34–31 (.523)
Postseason:	0–2 (.000)
Career:	34–33 (.507)
Coaching stats at PFR
Player stats at ArenaFan.com

Matthew Nagy (born April 24, 1978) is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League (NFL). Before this, he was the head coach for the Chicago Bears from 2018 to 2021.

As a player, Nagy played college football for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens from 1997 to 2000. He set many school passing records. After college, he played six seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) for teams like the New York Dragons and Georgia Force.

After his playing career, Nagy became an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. He worked under head coach Andy Reid. In 2013, he followed Reid to the Kansas City Chiefs as a quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2016. In 2018, Nagy became the head coach of the Chicago Bears. He led them to their first division title and playoff appearance since 2010. Nagy later returned to the Chiefs and was part of the coaching staff that won Super Bowl LVII and Super Bowl LVIII.

Matt Nagy's Early Life

Matthew Nagy was born on April 24, 1978, in Dunellen, New Jersey. He grew up in Manheim, Pennsylvania. His parents divorced when he was three. Matt moved with his mother, Gail Stouch.

Growing up, Nagy played many sports, including football. Teammates said he was very competitive. He played high school football and basketball for Manheim Central High School. He became the starting quarterback in his junior year. In 1994, Nagy led his team, the Barons, to the state playoffs. They reached the semifinals. In 1995, Nagy passed for 1,928 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also ran for 358 yards and six touchdowns. Manheim Central went 13–0 that year. Nagy was named Lancaster County Most Valuable Player. He finished high school with a 26–2 record and over 3,500 career passing yards.

College Football Career

Even with his high school success, Nagy did not get many offers from top college football teams. This was because he was not very fast and was smaller than some other quarterbacks. He chose to play for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens.

Delaware Stadium (pictured in 2014), where Nagy played college football for the Fightin' Blue Hens

Nagy played for Delaware from 1997 to 2000. The team usually ran the ball a lot. But with Nagy and other talented players, they started passing more. In 2000, Delaware's offense threw at least 30 passes in eight of thirteen games.

After his first year, Nagy became a backup quarterback. In 1997, he became the starter when the main quarterback got hurt during the playoffs. He helped Delaware win a playoff game. In 1998, Nagy set 11 school records for passing. This included 2,916 yards in a season and 556 yards in one game. He also helped wide receiver Eddie Conti break an NCAA record for receiving yards.

In 1999, Nagy became the main starter. He got injured during the season, missing some games. In his senior year in 2000, Nagy and his team won almost every game. They were ranked second in their division. Nagy set a new school record with 3,436 passing yards and 29 touchdown throws. He was named a third-team All-American.

Nagy finished his college career with 8,214 passing yards and 58 touchdown passes. These were all team records at the time. He studied health and physical education. In 2019, he returned to Delaware to speak at their graduation ceremony. He also received an honorary degree.

Professional Playing Career

After college, Nagy tried to join the NFL but was not drafted. He tried out for several NFL teams, but none signed him.

Playing in the Arena Football League

Without NFL opportunities, Nagy joined the Arena Football League (AFL). He played for the New York Dragons. His coach, John Gregory, thought Nagy was similar to famous quarterback Kurt Warner. Nagy played six games in his first year, 2002. He had 1,242 passing yards and 27 touchdowns.

In 2003, Nagy tore a ligament in his knee during a flag football game. This kept him from playing that season. He spent the year recovering and working as a substitute teacher.

Carolina Cobras and Georgia Force

In 2004, Nagy was traded to the Carolina Cobras. The Cobras had a very bad record the year before. In his first game, Nagy helped them win and end a 17-game losing streak. He threw for 2,371 yards and 47 touchdowns in ten starts for the Cobras.

In 2005, Nagy signed with the Georgia Force. He became the starting quarterback after the main starter got injured. Nagy led the Force to an 11–5 record. He threw 66 touchdowns and was named second-team All-Arena. In the playoffs, he led the Force to ArenaBowl XIX, the championship game. They lost a close game 51–48.

In 2006, Nagy continued to play well for the Force. He set new team records for passing yards (4,265) and touchdowns (85). The Force made the playoffs but lost in the second round.

Columbus Destroyers

In 2006, Nagy was traded to the Columbus Destroyers. In 2007, he led the Destroyers to the playoffs. They had a winning record of 7–9. Nagy threw for 3,561 yards and 75 touchdowns. In the playoffs, he led his team to big upset wins. They reached ArenaBowl XXI, but lost the championship game.

In 2008, Nagy also served as the team's offensive coordinator while playing. The Destroyers struggled that year, finishing with a 3–13 record. The AFL stopped playing games in late 2008 due to money problems. This ended Nagy's playing career. In his six seasons, he had over 18,000 passing yards and 374 touchdown throws.

Playing Statistics

Coaching Career

Early Coaching Roles

In 2001, Nagy became a quarterbacks coach at Manheim Central High School. The next year, he coached quarterbacks at Cedar Crest High School. He also coached the junior varsity team there until 2003.

After working as an intern for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008, Nagy became the offensive coordinator for Palmyra Area High School. He stayed with the team until 2009.

Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs

In 2009, Nagy got a full-time job with the Eagles as an assistant to head coach Andy Reid. He moved up the coaching ranks. In 2011, he became the offensive quality control coach.

After the 2012 season, Reid was fired by the Eagles. He then became the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Nagy followed him to Kansas City, becoming the quarterbacks coach in 2013. In 2016, Nagy was promoted to co-offensive coordinator. He shared the role with Brad Childress. Nagy communicated directly with the quarterback during games.

Before the 2017 season, the New York Jets tried to hire Nagy as their offensive coordinator. But the Chiefs blocked the move. Nagy became the only offensive coordinator for the Chiefs. In December 2017, Reid gave Nagy the job of calling plays during games. Under Nagy, the Chiefs finished the season strong. Their offense, which was ranked 20th in 2016, became the fifth-best in 2017. Quarterback Alex Smith had a career-best year.

Chicago Bears Head Coach

On January 8, 2018, the Chicago Bears hired Nagy as their new head coach. Andy Reid supported Nagy, calling him the "best head-coaching candidate" he had ever had. Nagy was one of the first younger coaches specializing in offense to become an NFL head coach. He was also the first Delaware college alumnus to become an NFL head coach.

In his first season, Nagy led the Bears to win the NFC North division title. This was their first division win since 2010. He finished his first year with a 12–4 record. He was only the second Bears rookie head coach to win 10 games. In January 2019, Nagy won the Coach of the Year awards from the Pro Football Writers Association and the Associated Press. However, the Bears lost a close playoff game to the Philadelphia Eagles.

After the 2018 season, the Bears' defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, left to become a head coach. Nagy hired Chuck Pagano to replace him. The Bears started the 2019 season well but then struggled. They finished the season with an 8–8 record.

For the 2020 season, Nagy brought in new coaches and traded for quarterback Nick Foles. The Bears started 5–1 but then lost six games in a row. Nagy gave up play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. The Bears finished 8–8 again and made the playoffs. They lost in the Wild Card round.

In the 2021 season, Andy Dalton started as quarterback, but rookie Justin Fields took over after Dalton got hurt. The offense struggled. Nagy tested positive for COVID-19 in October, so special teams coordinator Chris Tabor took over as head coach for one game. Chicago finished the season with a 6–11 record. This was Nagy's first losing season as a head coach.

On January 10, 2022, Nagy was fired by the Bears. His time in Chicago ended with a 34–31 record over four seasons. He had an 0–2 record in the playoffs.

Return to the Chiefs

Nagy returned to the Chiefs on February 25, 2022. He became a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach. Head coach Andy Reid said Nagy was a good choice because he knew the team and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In his first season back, the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles. This was Nagy's first Super Bowl victory.

Nagy was promoted to offensive coordinator again on February 24, 2023. This was his second time in that role for the Chiefs. Nagy helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LVIII by defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25–22.

Coaching Style

Offensive Strategy

When Nagy became the Bears' head coach, he was called "highly intelligent" and "creative." Nagy sees himself as an aggressive coach.

In Chicago, Nagy used a style of offense inspired by Andy Reid. This offense uses short, quick passes to receivers. It focuses on throwing the ball instead of running it a lot. Quarterbacks are also allowed to throw deeper passes to make defenses cover more of the field.

Nagy often used plays to confuse the defense. This included players moving before the snap. A common tactic was the run-pass option (RPO). This allows the quarterback to decide whether to run or pass based on what the defense does. Nagy also used play-action passes often.

Nagy also used "trick plays" frequently in 2018. These plays had unusual formations and sometimes used defensive players on offense. He got ideas for these plays from his time in arena football. In arena football, players often played both offense and defense. These special plays were designed to confuse defenses.

Nagy's playing career also influenced his offense. He liked to throw deep passes to stretch the defense. In Kansas City, he created running plays that used misdirection.

Nagy prefers players who can play many different roles on offense. For example, he likes running backs who can both run and catch the ball. This helps players find weaknesses in the defense. Unlike some offenses that rely on one top receiver, Nagy's teams spread the ball around to many different players.

As an offensive head coach, Nagy let his defensive coordinator handle the defense.

Team Culture

In Chicago, Nagy was praised for his positive attitude. He helped keep the team's spirits high. Even when the offense struggled after 2018, his personality helped keep the locker room together.

Nagy's coaching philosophy was inspired by former baseball manager Joe Maddon's phrase "Be You." This means he wanted players and coaches to be themselves and enjoy the sport.

After wins in 2018, Nagy started a post-game celebration called "Club Dub." The team would have a dance party with music and lights. He said this was to celebrate each win because winning is hard. His post-win speeches often ended with him saying "Boom!"

In 2019, Nagy created the "Sweep the Sheds Award." This award was given to an unsung player after each victory. The idea came from a book about the New Zealand rugby team, who clean their locker room after games to stay humble.

Head Coaching Record

Personal Life

Nagy married his high school sweetheart, Stacey, in 2002. They have four sons. Before joining the Arena Football League, he was a teacher. After his playing career, Nagy worked for a home construction company. He left that job when he joined the Eagles full-time.

Nagy is close with both of his parents, even though they divorced. His father, Bill, was a high school defensive line coach. He won a state championship in 1980. Bill later became a teacher. Nagy has stepsiblings Luke and Jenna. Luke played football at Manheim Central High School.