The Arizona Cardinals’ search to replace Jonathan Gannon took an unexpected twist in the week leading up to the Super Bowl. Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who was reportedly their top choice, left Arizona without a deal. They now turn their attention to interviewing Klint Kubiak, another NFC West offensive coordinator.
Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports casts doubt on the Cardinals’ ability to lure Kubiak in.
Pauline wrote, “The sense I’m getting is that he would likely return to Seattle rather than take the head coaching job with Arizona, unless they somehow blow him away with an amazing offer. The Cardinals are not a very desirable job for anyone.”
Pauline describes the Seattle Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator as the “it” candidate, comparing him to Ben Johnson. Johnson is one of five Coach of the Year finalists, leading the Chicago Bears to an NFC North title in his first year as their head coach.
Kubiak is set to interview with both the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cardinals later this week. It’s not a given that he’ll go to the Raiders either, with minority owner Tom Brady looking over his shoulder.
How the Cardinals’ Coaching Situation is Viewed Across the NFL
The view from outside Arizona is that they have the worst situation for any head coach in this year’s hiring cycle. Former and current NFL players shared their opinions on the downtrodden franchise.
Three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan described the Cardinals’ head coaching job as “not for the faint of heart”.
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, who plays Arizona twice a year, used the hydra meme to describe the NFC West. Warner described the Cardinals as the head with the tongue sticking out and googly eyes.
Coaching candidates who had no shortage of teams, such as John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski, flat-out ignored them. Mike Tomlin and Sean McDermott decided to take a year off from coaching instead of entertaining the Cardinals. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh chose the Titans‘ job after setting up a second interview in Arizona.
Simply put, the Cardinals carry a poor reputation across the NFL. That’s a reality that general manager Monti Ossenfort and owner Michael Bidwill have to deal with. They will eventually hire someone, as there are only 32 head coaching jobs, but the only question is who.
Aside from Kubiak and LaFleur, the Cardinals still have some coaches to turn to. Other coaches who are still in the running are Ron Rivera and Raheem Morris.
Cardinals Coaching Situation Update
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Cardinals have informed their remaining candidates that they have to interview one more coach. Obviously, that’s Kubiak. With a short window to interview another top candidate, it further reinforces their standing in the league.
The Cardinals’ actions should be a pretty good indication of where they stand. They cannot hire Kubiak before Super Bowl LX, so the timing of their hire will say it all.
Arizona Sports radio host Dave Burns said on Burns & Gambo that the Cardinals are playing a dangerous game with Kubiak and LaFleur. While it’s never a bad idea to be thorough, it increases the possibility of settling for a less-desired candidate.
That scenario would be viewed as a “failure” by co-host John Gambadoro. Gambadoro later said he’s fine with the Cardinals bringing back former defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. However, that’s a hire that wouldn’t be well-received by the fan base.
Given the reporting on LaFleur, there’s no indication of any agreement. Should the Cardinals fail to convince Kubiak, as expected, all eyes will naturally gravitate toward the Rams OC.
The Cardinals have a chance to try to improve their reputation across the league. This coaching search will say a lot about that. A botched hire will cement Arizona’s reputation as one of the worst-run teams in the NFL and further alienate the fan base.
Arizona Cardinals’ Reputation Casts Shadow Over Klint Kubiak Interview