Kansas City, Mo. ? The Kansas City Chiefs called a news conference for this morning to announce their new defensive coordinator, and Gunther Cunningham, who was fired three years ago as Chiefs’ head coach, was considered the leading candidate.

Neither Chiefs president Carl Peterson nor Cunningham returned phone calls to their homes Monday night. Cunningham has spent the past three seasons as linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans.

Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil has said Cunningham was the only outside candidate he interviewed for the job since Greg Robinson resigned as defensive coordinator following a 38-31 playoff loss Jan. 11 to Indianapolis.

Cunningham was a popular and successful defensive coordinator for the Chiefs from 1995 through 1998. In 1995 and ’97, the Chiefs led the NFL in fewest points allowed.

Cunningham was promoted to head coach in 1999 and went 16-16 in two seasons before being fired and replaced by Vermeil, who had been retired for one year after leading St. Louis to the Super Bowl title.