Chiefs assistant coach Dave Merritt accused of domestic violence

On the day of the NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs were dealt a major blow.

Assistant coach Dave Merritt was charged Thursday with misdemeanor domestic violence.

A complaint filed by the prosecutor in Johnson County, Kansas, accused him of inflicting bodily harm on a girl.

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The chiefs said they were aware of the arrest but had no comment. Merritt was scheduled to appear in court later Thursday.

Merritt, 54, played college football at North Carolina State and was a seventh-round pick in 1993 by the Miami Dolphins.

He only played four games for them before joining the then Phoenix Cardinals, for whom he played until 1995. He played in 16 games in 1994 and 15 the following season.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt stands on the sideline during the first half of an NFL game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, December 17, 2023. (Greg M. Cooper/AP)

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Merritt then moved to NFL Europe in 1997 before becoming a coach. His first coaching job was at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga as the outside linebackers coach.

He joined the NFL in 2001 as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach with the New York Jets in 2001, then went to the Giants the following year.

Merritt remained with Big Blue until 2017 before returning to his former Cardinals for one season. He then joined Kansas City in 2019 as defensive backs coach.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt celebrates with his sons after a 31-20 Super Bowl LIV victory over the San Francisco 49ers on February 2, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Tammy Ljungblad/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)

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As a coach, he won five Super Bowls – two with the Giants and three with the Chiefs.