Despite his relatively short tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tyrann Mathieu will always hold legendary status to fans who watched him play. A true team leader, civic servant, and defensive weapon, Mathieu’s play and presence in the secondary made him a cornerstone for the Chiefs’ run of Super Bowl success.

The Chiefs signed Mathieu as a free agent in 2019 to serve as the captain of a remade defense for newly hired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Mathieu spent three years anchoring the back of the Chiefs defense, and secured two All-Pro honors and made two Pro Bowl rosters during his trio of seasons. He was also an annual member of the NFL’s Top 100 players list.

Since Mathieu has been out of K.C. for quite some time, fans might have missed the start of his podcast, In The Bayou. On the latest episode, Mathieu counted down the top five coaches he’s ever played for, and the longtime safety had plenty of love to give back to the staff that demanded so much from him during his time with the Chiefs.

Mathieu’s former coaches in Kansas City comprised the top two spots on his list. Following Bruce Arians at the NFL level, who coached him in his first few NFL seasons in Arizona, and then a visit back to college and high school, Mathieu had both Andy Reid, his longtime head coach, and Spagnuolo as his top two.

Tyrann Mathieu’s podcast is a great listen for Chiefs fans, and the new episode runs down his favorite coaches ever.

When it came to Reid, Mathieu spoke highly about his preparedness for every aspect of the game and the sheer amount of knowledge he was able to absorb during his years in K.C. He also said those years felt different because they were about “chasing greatness”.

“I remember when those guys started recruiting me,” said Mathieu. “They had big dreams for me. It doesn’t always go that way, or it doesn’t always work out that way. But I was grateful that it did. I was grateful that all the stuff they talked about when they were recruiting me, it came to life in year one. We won the Super Bowl. That was huge.

“Even from a schematic and knowledge point, I feel like I grew with him,” he continued. “He’s always teaching. He’s constantly teaching. Everything’s a teaching moment. There’s no situation that you feel like you didn’t prepare for, so that’s why I feel like he was able to win so many games. I think that’s why the Chiefs still, year in and year out now, are a playoff team. Nobody wants to play them in the playoffs because teams know they’re going to be ready. They’re going to be prepared.

As for Spagnuolo, the mutual admiration between coach and player has been readily apparent for quite some time. Spags has made no secret of his appreciation for Mathieu in years past, and the safety returned the favor on his podcast by naming him as his favorite coach to ever play for. “For him to give me the keys to his defense, that meant a lot to me.”

“He put me in a position to just be great and do what I do well,” said Mathieu. “Honestly, I thought that kind of boosted my career in a sense. I remember playing for him, I felt like a new player. Coming off two ACL injuries, that was the first time I was like, ‘Man, this is the dream.’ Not just that, too, but you’re playing in big games. You have opportunities to end games. I always took pride in that, just trying to end the game. “

Mathieu certainly did just that, and his leadership helped develop those around him to continue to carry the franchise’s winning ways forward into a new generation. While the Chiefs are struggling in 2025 with a 6-6 record, the run of dynastic success—which includes five Super Bowl appearances in the last six years—will forever be a part of NFL history. Mathieu was a catalyst for all of it.