Kansas City, Mo. ? The NFL’s oldest coach figures staying around young people is the best way to stay spry.

“It’s true,” said 67-year-old Dick Vermeil. “My football team energizes me.”

So Vermeil will be back next year with the playoff-bound Kansas City Chiefs, a decision he made after thinking how much he regretted leaving St. Louis shortly after the Rams won the 2000 Super Bowl.

Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson, one of Vermeil’s closest friends, talked him out of retirement in 2001 and gave him a three-year, $10 million contract. Calling Vermeil “the best coach in the National Football League,” Peterson has said repeatedly that as long as he is general manager of the Chiefs, Vermeil is welcome to be head coach.

“I don’t even know if it will be a one-year contract or not,” Vermeil said. “I just told Carl that I wanted to stay.”

After going 6-10 in 2001 and 8-8 last year, Vermeil guided the 2003 Chiefs to a 13-3 regular-season record and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. He took Philadelphia to the Super Bowl following the 1980 season and guided the Rams to the NFL championship in the 1999 season. He could be the first coach to take three different teams to the Super Bowl.

“I was thinking of how I would feel about four months down the road,” he said. “I decided I would be more apt to regret having left than to regret having stayed.”

Applause broke out when he informed his assistant coaches, who are preparing to play host to a second-round playoff game Jan. 11. He also was encouraged to stay by wife Carol and his players.

“There were a lot of smiling faces in that room,” said Lynn Stiles, vice president of football operations and another close friend.

“He told me he wants to keep this thing going. So far, this year has been outstanding. And we’re all excited about this season. But there’s no reason why we can’t build next year on what he’s accomplished thus far.”