Eric Sorenson
After firing Ken Whisenhunt on “Black Monday” one day after finishing a disappointing 5-11 season Michael Bidwill addressed the media and promised the Arizona Cardinals front office would do their due diligence to find him replacement.
Two weeks later it’s apparent he’s keeping his word.
After initial reports linked Andy Reid to Arizona before being snatched away by the Kansas City Chiefs, Bidwill and new General Manager Steve Keim have been relatively quiet on the coaching front.
One candidate, Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, spoke to the media late last week after meeting with the Cardinals. Another is Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy who has been linked to the Cards, Chargers and others. Reports say the Cardinals are looking to schedule a second interview. There’s also current defensive coordinator Ray Horton who Bidwill publicly endorsed following Whisenhunt’s ousting. Former Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley has also been mentioned.
One person keeping a close eye on the situation is NFL Network analyst and former quarterback Kurt Warner who guided the Cards to their only Super Bowl appearance in 2009.
“I really felt from the beginning,” Warner explained to Brad Cesmat Monday on ‘Big Guy on Sports,’ “with Ray Horton in place, not that he wouldn’t be a great head coach, but with him in place I really felt they were going to lean toward the offensive side. If they could go hand-pick a guy that they felt could help transform this offense, to go along with Ray Horton’s defense, that’s the direction they would go.”
Warner cited McCoy’s success in Denver with Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow and most recently Peyton Manning as a nice possibility, along with Haley who remains close to Warner after both were with the Cardinals. Haley also worked well with Pro Bowl wide receiver receiver Larry Fitzgerald during his two-year stint in Arizona.
