All About Clark Hunt, Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs

Clark Hunt was born into a football family.

While the president and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs has led the reigning Super Bowl-winning team for the past two decades, he has been part of the organization his entire life.

Clark’s father, Lamar Hunt, founded the Chiefs in 1963 after moving his original team from Dallas to Kansas City. After Lamar’s death in 2006, Clark, along with his siblings, inherited ownership of the Kansas City team.

Although a co-owner, Clark is the chief operating officer and driving force behind the Chiefs. He was named president in 2005 and CEO in 2010, winning eight AFC West Division titles and making the playoffs 10 times since taking over as the team’s CEO.

Under his leadership, the Kansas City Chiefs made three Super Bowl appearances following the 2019, 2020 and 2022 seasons. The team, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, took the trophy in the last two games, becoming one of 10 NFL franchises to win at least three Lombardi Trophy.

“The Chiefs aren’t just holding the title again, they’re building a dynasty,” President Joe Biden said, welcoming Clark and the Kansas City team to the White House after their 2023 victory. “Super Bowl champions in 2020 and 2023, dominating the league with 64 wins over the last 5 years, the best in the NFL.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Clark Hunt, president and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs.

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He is the son of Kansas City Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt.

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Clark inherited the Chiefs from his father, Lamar Hunt — who not only founded the Kansas City franchise, but was also a founding principal of the American Football League (AFL) in 1959 and a founding member of Major League Soccer in 1996.

In 1960, Lamar (son of oil tycoon HL Hunt) was turned down by the NFL in an attempt to start a Dallas football franchise, prompting him to found the AFL for his Dallas Texans team. Three years later, Lamar moved the team from Dallas to Kansas City and renamed them the Chiefs. In 1970, the Chiefs became an NFL franchise.

Lamar has become a legend in the football world, with many accolades and honors; among them is the Lamar Hunt Trophy, the highest award given to any AFC Championship Game winner since 1984.

Clark’s mom, Norma, earned the title “The First Lady of Soccer.” She died in June 2023, after witnessing all three Super Bowl victories to date.

“This is the first year without my mom and dad, and they’re so much a part of our organization, they’re so much a part of the DNA of the organization, so we’re going to miss them,” Clark said of his late parents when speaking with the Kansas City outlet in September.

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He is the co-owner of the Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt holds the Lamar Hunt trophy for his mother Norma Hunt, widow of former owner Lamar Hunt.

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Clark was named president of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005. When Lamar died in 2006, Clark and his siblings—brothers Lamar Hunt Jr. and Daniel Hunt, plus sister Sharron Hunt – inherited ownership of the franchise.

Their grandfather and Lamar’s father, HL Hunt, was an American oil tycoon. As of 2020, Business Insider reported that “the Hunt family had a combined net worth of $15.5 billion, making them one of the wealthiest families in America.”

He hired Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and owner Clark Hunt.

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Andy Reid, the current head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, was hired by Clark on January 7, 2013 to be the club’s 13th head coach in franchise history.

In fact, it was Clark who called Reid directly after he was fired from the Eagles, and had one of the first conversations with him about his next career move. “I was fortunate that on Monday when I made the phone call to him, I was the first phone call he answered,” Clark said during a January 2013 press conference.

“It was probably sometime in the first few hours,” Hunt said of knowing Reid was his man. “He had tremendous energy and we hit it off right from the start. So I knew pretty early on … and I also had my fingers crossed.”

Reid is considered one of the most successful NFL coaches of all time and is credited with completely turning the Chiefs franchise around. And according to Clark, he shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

When NBC Sports asked him about retirement in July, Clark said, “It’s never been brought up in my conversations with Andy. . . . The way I see Andy, he’s still incredibly energetic and excited.”

He continued, “He’s all in the Kansas City Chiefs trying to get us back to the playoffs and win another Super Bowl. I think he has as much energy and passion as I’ve seen in the 10-plus years he’s been with us.”

His wife is a former Kansas City Chiefs intern

Clark Hunt and Tavia Hunt appear on the red carpet before the 2022 National Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Toyota Stadium on May 21, 2022.

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Hunt met his wife, Tavia Hunt, when she was an intern for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1991.

“In 1991, I was a public relations intern in college,” she explained to a local Kansas City news outlet. “After the first induction lunch at the end of the summer, we’re back to start the season. At the end of that event, this nice guy named Clark showed up.”

Tavia said she found out they “had so much in common” after their first conversation. “He asked me if I wanted to have dinner once, and the rest is history.”

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He has three children

Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt poses with his wife Tavia Shackles before Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.

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Clark and Tavia are parents to three children: daughters Gracie and Ava and son Knobel Hunt. The whole family is involved with the Chiefs and can often be seen cheering the team on from the sidelines at games.

Speaking to the aforementioned Kansas City outlet, Tavia said the “cornerstones of our family” are “faith, family and football.” She added: “But we say football is family because for us we really believe we are made for relationships.”

Gracie told Fox News ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl: “I was raised on the sidelines. I loved watching my amazing role models, my dad and mom, lead the organization and also share their faith.”

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