The Arizona Cardinals could be undergoing one of the biggest transformations of any NFL team this coming off-season, and it starts at the top.
Kliff Kingsbury brought youth and excitement with him when he arrived in Arizona ahead of the 2019 season. He was given plenty of control, and was behind the decision to bring a first-year quarterback in his inaugural year at the helm. And while the decision to move on from Josh Rosen to Kyler Murray was certainly a smart one, not much else went right for Kingsbury in his time with the Cardinals.
Kingsbury’s teams went 28-37 over his four-year tenure, achieving a playoff appearance and winning record just one time. The turmoil that the team experienced in his final season was enough for the franchise to cut ties, and Kingsbury was fired at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
We are now nearly a month out from that event, meaning that the team has been without a man in charge during a time when evaluations and off-season plans should be being pieced together. But they are apparently in the thick of the search, and reports say that they have narrowed their potential candidates down to three. Who are they?
Who Will Replace Kingsbury As Arizona Cardinals Head Coach?
Brian Flores
The only one of the remaining candidates with prior head coaching experience, Brian Flores is the most recognizable name of the bunch. His time as the head man in Miami was met with mixed reviews, and the mess and he left on his way out the door as become a point of contention for that fan base. But Flores spent last season as a part of the Steelers defensive staff, and he is apparently once again in line to be a part of this off-season’s coaching carousel. It would be interesting to see how a disciplinarian like Flores would treat Murray as his quarterback, but we may get the chance to find out.
Mike Kafka
Mike Kafka spent the first five years of his NFL coaching career as a member of the offensive staff for the Kansas City Chiefs when that franchise made its ascent to the top of the league. He parlayed that experience into becoming the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants for the 2022 season, and was impressive enough to be considered for a head coaching job this off-season. Arizona won’t be his only stop, as he had previously interviewed with the Panthers, Texans, and Colts about their coaching vacancies.
Lou Anarumo
Like Flores, Anarumo is more of a defensive mind than anything. He started his NFL coaching career as a defensive backs coach for the Miami Dolphins, where he spent six seasons while being named the interim defensive coordinator for a time. He left to be the Giants defensive backs coach for a season in 2018, before joining the Bengals, where he had been the defensive coordinator for the last 4 years. His units have had some impressive performances over the last couple of seasons, enough to warrant some interest from teams in their coaching searches.
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