Arizona Cardinals: 8 head coaches ranked
By Scott Allen
6. Dennis Green
The head coach that closed out the Sun Devil Stadium days and ushered in the University of Phoenix Stadium days could not close out the deal in Arizona as a winner. He went 16-32 in his three seasons from 2004-2006.
Green, unlike some of the other coaches before him, did have some talent but yet the team still underperformed. They made their biggest free agent splash with the signing of running back Edgerrin James from the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 and drafted Heisman quarterback Matt Leinart with the number 10 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Neither one of those moves paid off for the Cardinals. Green also had quarterback Kurt Warner for two seasons but couldn’t win.
His most famous moment in Arizona was in 2006 after a Monday Night Football contest against the Chicago Bears after blowing a 20-point lead. “They are who we thought they were” is still one of the most repeated quotes today, 10 years later.
The quote, used in frustration after blowing the large lead on national television, is the one thing most Cardinals fans remember from Green’s days in Arizona. When a quote after losing a game is the most memorable thing about your tenure anywhere, it is likely that the individual will never be remembered for the job he held.
Next: The first to lead the Cardinals to the playoffs in Arizona