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Cards hire Whisenhunt
So much for the Pete Carrol rumours....
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Arizona hires Steelers assistant Whisenhunt as new coach
By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
January 14, 2007
PHOENIX (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals hired Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt as coach after a 5-11 season that culminated with Dennis Green's firing.
The 44-year-old Whisenhunt signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth, the Cardinals announced Sunday.
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Green was fired after three seasons and a 16-32 record. Whisenhunt becomes the Cardinals' eighth coach since the franchise moved to Arizona in 1988.
Whisenhunt was one of eight candidates interviewed for the job, but one of only two who got a second interview. The other was former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman.
The Steelers assistant also interviewed for coaching jobs in Pittsburgh, Miami and Atlanta. He and fellow Pittsburgh assistant Russ Grimm had been considered leading candidates to replace Bill Cowher with the Steelers.
"It's clear to us that he has all the attributes we were seeking," Cardinals vice president of football operations Rod Graves said in a news release, "in terms of coaching ability, enthusiasm, organizational and leadership skills and the overall ability to lead this team to success immediately and for years to come."
The new coach inherits plenty of young talent, including quarterback Matt Leinart and a pair of the top receivers in the NFL, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. However, he also joins a franchise with a legacy of losing unprecedented in this era of NFL parity.
The Cardinals have had one winning season, and one playoff appearance, since 1984. They have one playoff victory since winning the NFL championship in 1947.
Owner Bill Bidwill and son Michael, the Cardinals' vice president and general counsel, joined Graves in conducting the interviews. The Cardinals insist they are intent at putting a winning team in their new stadium, pointing to the free agent acquisition of running back Edgerrin James and contract extensions to Boldin, Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson and several other of their best young players.
At Pittsburgh, Whisenhunt helped develop Ben Roethlisberger into an immediate success. He has another talented pupil now in Leinart.
"Young quarterbacks that have a bright future like he does are hard to find," Whisenhunt said after his initial interview with the Cardinals on Jan. 5. "They don't grow on trees. That's an exciting part of this organization."
Whisenhunt, who will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday, spent six years on Cowher's staff, three as tight ends coach and three as offensive coordinator. He also had assistant coaching stints with the New York Jets, Cleveland and Baltimore. Whisenhunt played in the NFL for nine seasons with Atlanta, Washington and the Jets.
In his second season as coordinator, the Steelers won the Super Bowl, averaging 26.8 points per game in the playoffs. This season, Pittsburgh's offense ranked seventh in the NFL, ninth in passing and 10th in rushing.
The other candidates interviewed by the Cardinals were Grimm, Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach-quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell and Cardinals defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.
So much for the Pete Carrol rumours....
*************
Arizona hires Steelers assistant Whisenhunt as new coach
By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
January 14, 2007
PHOENIX (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals hired Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt as coach after a 5-11 season that culminated with Dennis Green's firing.
The 44-year-old Whisenhunt signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth, the Cardinals announced Sunday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Green was fired after three seasons and a 16-32 record. Whisenhunt becomes the Cardinals' eighth coach since the franchise moved to Arizona in 1988.
Whisenhunt was one of eight candidates interviewed for the job, but one of only two who got a second interview. The other was former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman.
The Steelers assistant also interviewed for coaching jobs in Pittsburgh, Miami and Atlanta. He and fellow Pittsburgh assistant Russ Grimm had been considered leading candidates to replace Bill Cowher with the Steelers.
"It's clear to us that he has all the attributes we were seeking," Cardinals vice president of football operations Rod Graves said in a news release, "in terms of coaching ability, enthusiasm, organizational and leadership skills and the overall ability to lead this team to success immediately and for years to come."
The new coach inherits plenty of young talent, including quarterback Matt Leinart and a pair of the top receivers in the NFL, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. However, he also joins a franchise with a legacy of losing unprecedented in this era of NFL parity.
The Cardinals have had one winning season, and one playoff appearance, since 1984. They have one playoff victory since winning the NFL championship in 1947.
Owner Bill Bidwill and son Michael, the Cardinals' vice president and general counsel, joined Graves in conducting the interviews. The Cardinals insist they are intent at putting a winning team in their new stadium, pointing to the free agent acquisition of running back Edgerrin James and contract extensions to Boldin, Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson and several other of their best young players.
At Pittsburgh, Whisenhunt helped develop Ben Roethlisberger into an immediate success. He has another talented pupil now in Leinart.
"Young quarterbacks that have a bright future like he does are hard to find," Whisenhunt said after his initial interview with the Cardinals on Jan. 5. "They don't grow on trees. That's an exciting part of this organization."
Whisenhunt, who will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday, spent six years on Cowher's staff, three as tight ends coach and three as offensive coordinator. He also had assistant coaching stints with the New York Jets, Cleveland and Baltimore. Whisenhunt played in the NFL for nine seasons with Atlanta, Washington and the Jets.
In his second season as coordinator, the Steelers won the Super Bowl, averaging 26.8 points per game in the playoffs. This season, Pittsburgh's offense ranked seventh in the NFL, ninth in passing and 10th in rushing.
The other candidates interviewed by the Cardinals were Grimm, Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach-quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell and Cardinals defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.