Not long after leaving, a story has surfaced about his former employer with allegations about the Kansas City organization that have opened eyes across the league.
In a juicy piece of investigative reporting by The Kansas City Star's Kent Babb, the Chiefs organization is accused of bugging team facilities and cellphones.
"Looking up toward the ceiling," Babb writes, "[Haley] darted into a back hallway before hesitating. Then he turned around, going back through a door and stopping again. Haley suspected that many rooms at the team facility were bugged so that team administrators could monitor employees’ conversations."
"Stopping finally in a conference room, Haley said he believed his personal cellphone, a line he used before being hired by the Chiefs in 2009, had been tampered with."
The timing of the story — shortly after Haley's dismissal by the Chiefs and general manager Todd Haley — may seem a bit conspicuous. However, the reporting digs much deeper than just Haley.
"When you’re mentally abused, you eventually lose it, too," a former longtime Chiefs executive told the paper.
"This past year," writes Babb, "Haley stopped talking on the phone and repeatedly checked his office for listening devices. After being fired, Haley didn’t respond to interview requests; many former staffers said they signed confidentiality agreements upon being let go."
Much of the suspect behavior is alleged to have started once Pioli took over in 2009.
Upon taking over, it was established that certain team employees weren't allowed on some floors in the team facility. Employees with windows facing the practice field — including the team president — were instructed to keep their shades drawn while practices were held.
"The level of paranoia was probably the highest that I had ever seen it anywhere," another former team employee told the Star. "If you make the wrong step, you might not be able to pay your mortgage."
Unsurprisingly, Pioli did not comment on the allegations, but chairman and CEO Clark Hunt denied any notions of an unsettling work environment.
"We needed a culture that pursued excellence," he said. "One that valued honesty and integrity, one where the employees would be held accountable."
