Scott Pioli, New England’s vice president of player personel until yesterday, holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XXXIX. He will try to win the championship again as the GM of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Providence Journal / Bill Murphy

The moving boxes were back at Gillette Stadium yesterday as another key member of the New England Patriots’ success this decade was packing away his things to head west for a new job.

Vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli finalized an agreement to become the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday, ending a highly successful nine-year partnership with Bill Belichick in New England.

The Chiefs will introduce Pioli in a news conference tonight at 6.

On Monday, former Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was named the Denver Broncos’ head coach, and the Boston Globe reported yesterday that both special assistant/secondary coach Dom Capers and special-teams coach Brad Seely are likely headed to new teams, as well, though neither has officially left the team yet.

Unlike at offensive coordinator, where there isn’t a clear favorite in-house to elevate, New England probably has Pioli’s replacement on staff already: director of player personnel Nick Caserio, who has been with the club since 2001 in front office and coaching roles.

Pioli’s departure from New England isn’t much of a surprise. The name of the four-time NFL executive of the year had been floated for other GM openings for quite some time, but he had previously turned down opportunities to interview with the Giants and Seahawks.

During an October breakfast with several members of the New England media in California, Pioli firmly yet politely declined to talk about the possibility of leaving the Patriots.

But now, clearly, the timing is right.

“We are very excited to welcome Scott to the Chiefs,” Kansas City chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement yesterday. “With his proven track record of success, Scott is the finest player-personnel executive in the NFL, and we look forward to his leadership in building a championship organization.”

The Chiefs have struggled in recent years, but have some good, young talent and a lot of money available under the salary cap for Pioli to work with. Due to its 2-14 record this season, Kansas City has the third overall pick in April’s draft.

A native of Washingtonville, N.Y., who played at Central Connecticut State, the 43-year-old Pioli became acquainted with Belichick more than 20 years ago, when the young player would chat up the then-assistant coach at Giants training camp in Albany. Belichick gave Pioli his first NFL gig, as a personnel assistant in Cleveland.

In New England, the pair set the standard for succeeding in a salary-cap league, loading the Pats’ roster primarily with two types of players: young ones on their first (and therefore cheapest) contract, and older ones who had made money and were now looking for team success. They drafted smartly and chose wisely on the free-agent market, and their hits certainly outnumber their misses.

With Belichick, Pioli did not have the final say on personnel matters, something he now has in Kansas City.

In statements yesterday, Belichick and New England owner Robert Kraft wished the barrel-chested, bespectacled Pioli their best in his new endeavor.

“To sum up in words everything Scott Pioli has meant to this organization and to me personally would be difficult, if not impossible,” Belichick said. “From the day I met him, he has demonstrated a passion for football and respect for the game that is second to none. It has been extremely gratifying for me to follow Scott’s career ascension from the bottom of the totem pole in Cleveland to his place as a pillar of championship teams in New England …There is no more capable, hard-working, loyal, team-oriented person than Scott Pioli.

“On a personal level, the Belichick-Pioli bond runs far deeper than our workplace, as we and our families have shared countless memories away from football. Working side by side with one of my best friends for almost two decades is special enough in itself, but to help each other achieve success beyond our dreams is a blessing and something I will always remember and appreciate.”

Kraft said the Chiefs made a wise choice.

“Scott Pioli was an integral part of the many championships the New England Patriots have celebrated this decade, and I would like to thank him for his countless contributions throughout the past nine seasons. Scott is a great evaluator of talent. He is thorough in his evaluations, extremely organized, and has done a tremendous job mining all possible resources to help coach Belichick and his staff field the players needed to win consistently. He has played an important role in building a championship tradition with players that I am proud to call Patriots,” the owner said.

In addition to evaluating the Chiefs’ roster and preparing for the draft, Pioli will be naming a new head coach. His arrival more than likely means the end of Herm Edwards’ tenure in Kansas City.

smanza@projo.com