Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid supports former assistant Eugene Chung amid racism claim

Former NFL assistant offensive line coach Eugene Chung, an Asian American, made headlines in May over allegations that he was told he wasn’t “the right minority” during a job interview.

The NFL initiated a review of Chung’s claim and announced in early July that the league couldn’t confirm the alleged comment was made. The league reached its conclusion after “multiple discussions” with Chung and his representative, but added that further discussion is welcome.

Chung, who coached in Kansas City from 2013-16, isn’t satisfied with the NFL’s statement.

“I’ve had one conversation with them,” Chung said Monday during a Zoom call with select members of the media. “I’d love to work with them hand in hand. But when it’s being written that I’m going to be working with them and I had only one very brief conversation, I think that’s a little misleading.”

The 52-year-old Chung categorized his lone discussion with the NFL as “short” and “almost perfunctory.” He also said his request through his representative to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell was denied.

Chung said he has received support from across the league, including from his old boss in Kansas City — Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

“He’s been nothing but great,” Chung told The Star. “He’s just been a fabulous mentor, confidante and adviser. He told me, ‘You’re doing the right thing. You’re holding the torch for everybody else.’

“He just been very supportive through the whole thing, and then he’s also been a good friend. You know how Coach Reid is. I mean, he’s an established coach and just a great person all around, so he’s been very helpful through this whole deal.”

Reid said reaching out to Chung was only natural, given their relationship.

“Eugene is one of my guys,” Reid said Wednesday. “Eugene played for me and coached for me, and so we talk all the time. … Listen, he was put on the spot a bit out there and he said what he said, he was real with it. People take different sides how they approach it, but I think he’s bringing light to it and that can be positive in the long run.”

Chung has declined to identify the team and coach who allegedly made the racially charged comment. The former offensive line coach said he prefers to focus on addressing the issue surrounding what happened to him so that other minority coaches won’t run into a similar situation.

“I’m not interested in outing anybody,” Chung said. “I think that’s insignificant and irrelevant to what’s going on at hand right now.”

Reid agreed with his former assistant coach.

“We’re in this right now and we’ve got to get through it, and everybody’s got to pick it up together,” Reid said. “There’s been a lot on the topic of racism, and I always feel blessed to be in the National Football League, where it doesn’t matter (what race you are). You come together and play.

“I’d probably say the next thing like that is war, where you really don’t care who’s in the foxhole. You’ve just got to make sure that you’re working together for a cause. That’s where we need to get as a country. I think that’s probably what Eugene was saying: ‘Listen, let’s just bring it together. It doesn’t matter what color you are, let’s bring it together.’”

Shortly after Chung’s Zoom call concluded Monday morning, the NFL issued a statement through Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.

“We embrace the opportunity to work with Eugene to hear his ideas on how we can better advance employment opportunities throughout the League, both for Asian-Americans and for all underrepresented groups,” the statement read. “As we have made him aware, we welcome meeting with him, and have at no time turned down requests to discuss these important issues with our staff, including the Commissioner. Asians/Pacific Islanders are a minority under our diversity policy.”

Chung, who entered the NFL as a player in 1992 out of Virginia Tech — he was a first-round pick in the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots — spent time as a player with the Chiefs in 1998-99. He joined the Reid-coached Philadelphia Eagles in 1999.

Chung got his first opportunity to join the pro-coaching ranks on Reid’s staff in Philadelphia as an offensive line assistant from 2010-12 before following Reid to Kansas City in 2013. Chung spent three seasons with the Chiefs before joining Doug Pederson, another former Reid assistant and player, in Philadelphia in 2016.