Springfield's Super Bowl connection: Brendan Daly headed again to the NFL's big game

Springfield's Brendan Daly will be coaching in his eighth Super Bowl when his Kansas City Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.

Daly, the Chiefs' linebacker coach, already has a nice ring collection. He was part of three Super Bowl wins with the New England Patriots, and he will be trying to win his third with Chiefs in five seasons.

Here are some things to know about Daly:

On the playing field

Daly, 48, played for Ken Leonard, the winningest high school football coach in Illinois history, at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School. He has remained friends with Leonard, who retired from coaching after the 2022 season, through the years.

Daly played at Drake University and briefly returned there as a graduate assistant and tight ends coach in 1998.

Where's that roadmap?

Before reaching the National Football League, Daly had a nomadic coaching career, starting off at a high school in New Port Richey, Florida. His father, Mike, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, recalled in a 2021 interview with The State Journal-Register that the team didn't win a game that season.

After Drake, there were stops at Villanova, Maryland, Oklahoma State, Illinois State and Villanova again.

His mother, Anne Daly, who retired as a diabetes care and education specialist from SIU Family Medicine, had confidence in him, but admitted she was on edge for him.

"He moved a lot," she said, also in 2021. "That's how he fought his way up. Every year, he'd take his little red truck and throw everything in the back of it."

Reaching the pro ranks

In 2006, Daly was summoned to the NFL as the Minnesota Vikings' assistant defensive line coach. He had two stints with the Vikings and a stopover with the St. Louis Rams before being hired by the Patriots' Bill Belichick in 2014 as a defensive assistant.

The season was capped by the Patriots' 28-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.

'Rooted to Springfield'

Anne Daly said Brendan is still "rooted to Springfield" and despite coaching stops at the highest levels, "some of his closest friends are still from Springfield."

She joked in the 2021 interview that he is "a Maid-Rite guy." The iconic Springfield restaurant that sells the loose-meat sandwiches turns 100 years old in 2024.

Daly is known to put up bounce houses and slides for his nieces and nephews in Anne's backyard during his summer trips back to Springfield.

Daly and his wife, Keely, have three children. His family also includes a sister, Maura, and brother, Tim.

Super Bowl experiences

Daly has been able to share Super Bowl experiences with all of his immediate family members.

"It's like being at Disneyworld maybe a little bit," said Anne Daly of her three Super Bowl experiences. "It's over the top in every direction, the max of everything going on."

Change of scenery?

Daly has won high praise from Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid, but there are reports that Daly may be on the move.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN said the New York Giants have interviewed Daly for the defensive coordinator position after parting ways with their former coach.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll coached with Daly in New England for several years.

How to watch Super Bowl LVIII

The game will air on CBS at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 11.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Brendan Daly, Kansas City Chiefs coach, in his eighth Super Bowl