Eric Sorenson
Transition takes time.
This is no more prevalent than the National Football League where winning franchises continue to win while losing ones rebuild.
The Arizona Cardinals had been turned over more than an old mattress before Ken Whisenhunt took the Red Birds to the brink of a Super Bowl title. As was the case with the laundry list others before him, Whisenhunt’s stay in Arizona eventually came to an end. After Mike McCoy chose the Chargers over Arizona then, coincidentally, hired Whisenhunt as his offensive coordinator, the Bidwill’s hired long-time assistant Bruce Arians who worked wonders in Indianapolis stepping in for cancer-stricken Chuck Pagano.
The well-respected Arians won NFL Coach of the Year helping the Colts end their playoff drought behind rookie quarterback Andrew Luck.
Now, in less than one full season, Arians has changed the roster, culture and attitude in Arizona taking the 5-11 2012 version into double-digit winners (10-5).
Does Arians deserve serious Coach of the Year consideration again, even with Red Birds likely on the outside looking in on the playoffs after the 49ers held on to beat the Falcons Monday night in San Francisco?
“He certainly does,” NFL Network insider Albert Breer told Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat in a phone interview Monday morning. “What’s so unique about this year is you’ve got these playoff spots that are kind of open for the taking now so it’s tough to handout these awards…there’s a lot of moving parts. I certainly feel Bruce deserves consideration…there are a handful of guys still in the running.”
Breer says Arians has gotten the most out of veterans like Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby and others with his no-nonsense, straight-forward approach. The players also know the genuine 61-year old “has their back” known by many as the ultimate player’s coach. The love for his players goes far beyond the playing field.
“Being around NFL players,” Breer explained to Cesmat. “They’re not always the smartest people…but the one thing they have…is an incredible B.S. meter. They can see through people when people aren’t being themselves. You often see that with coaches…when these [players] look at Bruce Arians, that B.S. meter isn’t going off. He’s genuine. He’s real.”
With Arians at the helm the Cardinals 2013 success on the field is genuine and future quite real.
Real bright, that it.
