In January, at the end of Kansas City’s tough and disappointing 7-9 season, the oldest head coach in the NFL honestly thought it would be.

“I’ve told my assistant coaches that next year will be my last,” he announced.

But now the bounce is back. Despite his 69 years, the only man to coach teams to victory in both the Super Bowl and the Rose Bowl feels animated, energetic and eager.

Everything will hinge on how the 2005 Chiefs do. Provided they compete and he still feels up to the job, Vermeil just might return for his 16th campaign in a league that twice has honored him as coach of the year.

“If the team plays real well and it looks like the way we do things is capable of producing a good football team, then I might stay,” Vermeil said. “I’m just going to play it out and see what happens.”