Sirianni Catching On With Chiefs

Nick Sirianni and his buddies, Erik Eckstrand and Tom Langworthy, stare into the camera, their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders as they each sport a big smile.

The photo, which appears on Sirianni’s Facebook wall, was taken either before or after a Southwestern High School football game, circa late 1990s.

“Love this special picture,’’ Langworthy writes. “Thanks for putting it up!”

Langworthy, now the varsity coach at Jamestown High School and a special education teacher in the Jamestown Public Schools, is wearing jersey No. 50.

Eckstand is No. 45.

Sirianni is No. 1.

Naturally.

Coaching positions in the NFL don’t grow on trees. When you make it to “The League” you’ve entered into an exclusive fraternity, and Sirianni has been a member of that club going on four years. In fact, he was recently promoted to wide receivers coach with the Kansas City Chiefs after spending three seasons as their offensive quality control coach.

When informed that only 32 people in the world have the title of NFL wide receivers coach, the 1999 Southwestern Central School graduate was surprised.

“I never thought of it that way,’’ he said.

But coaching in the professional ranks has indeed been on his mind for, well, most of his life. 

Sirianni’s father, Fran, coached at Southwestern for nine years, while older brothers Mike and Jay are very successful head coaches at Division III Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) University and Southwestern respectively.

Following in his family’s footsteps, Sirianni played and coached at Division III power Mount Union and later coached at Division II Indiana University-Pennsylvania before joining the Chiefs’ staff in 2009. He was hired by former coach Todd Haley, who was fired before the end of the 2011 season and replaced by Romeo Crennel.

Crennel made Sirianni, 30, the Chiefs’ wide receivers coach in February, the only holdover from Haley’s staff to earn a promotion. And of the 10 staff members retained, just three were from the offensive side of the ball.

“Nick is a hard-working young man,’’ Crennel said in a statement on the Chiefs’ website. “He works extremely hard and he is smart. He’s a sharp guy and he kind of reminds me of some other young guys that I’ve worked with in the past who have been able to elevate themselves in this profession and do a good job, and I think Nick kind of falls into that category.

“For the two years I’ve worked with him, I’ve been impressed with what he brings to the table, what he has done in the press box on game day, and I think that he’ll do a good job with the receivers.”

Among the Chiefs wide receivers are Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston. Bowe caught 81 passes in 2011 for 1,159 yards and five touchdowns, while Breaston had 61 receptions for 785 yards and two TDs.

“I’m excited to be in charge of the wide receivers,’’ Sirianni said. “It’s been too long since I scored a touchdown or hit a 3-pointer (in basketball), so when they score a touchdown or make a big-time catch and it’s something we did on the field and we practiced for that, that’s an awesome feeling.”

The Chiefs finished the 2011 season with a 7-9 record, which meant that staff changes were likely. That also meant that Sirianni had to be patient as he awaited a decision by Crennel and Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli.

“It didn’t happen fast,’’ Sirianni said. “I had to be patient and trust that everything was going to work out the way it was supposed to work out.’’

As he waited,  Sirianni said he leaned on his faith.

“When you have faith in God, you can have patience,’’ he said. “As I’ve grown with God and Jesus, I can become more patient, because I know that He’s in control, you know what I mean?’’

Sirianni has also relied on the counsel of Chiefs’ quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn.

“He’s a pretty good person to have around when you have questions,’’ Sirianni said of the former NFL quarterback and ex-Washington Redskins head coach. “He’s been helpful. I’ve been blessed to have him come around. He’s definitely somebody who has helped me out. It’s funny how people get brought into your life for that very reason, and how they can help you and how you can help them.’’

To that end, Sirianni has been invited to dinner at Zorn’s home, and he and his fiance, Brett Cantwell, also attended a high school football game that Zorn’s son was playing in last fall and they checked out a high school basketball game with Zorn this winter.

For anyone who knows Sirianni, he loves basketball.

Twice a week, Sirianni satisfies his basketball “jones.”

“I’m in one league on Tuesdays and I play a pickup game on Wednesdays,’’ he said.

During his high school days, Sirianni loved to shoot from deep. More than a dozen years later, however, that part of his game is sorely lacking.

“I can’t shoot and I can’t finish like I used to,’’ Sirianni said.

But just to let his buddies know that he still has his athleticism, he’ll throw down a postgame dunk or two.

“I can swallow missing those layups,’’ he said, “if people can still see me dunk.”

The laughter on the other end of the phone is audible.

One could make the argument that Sirianni’s professional career has mirrored his postgame slams — one highlight after another.

Family and friends will have opportunity to see Sirianni close to home during the 2012 season as the Chiefs play road games against Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Cleveland.

But don’t expect Sirianni to take any phone calls for those inquiring about tickets in the week leading up to the showdown at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

“They can call my dad, not me. I’ll be busy,’’ Sirianni said, “and I don’t want any of them wearing Bills’ stuff.”

Laughter erupts again from the other end of the phone.