Arizona Cardinals: The Dave McGinnis Era
By Jim Koch
The defensive coordinator turned head coach led the Arizona Cardinals through one of the darkest periods in franchise history
The Arizona Cardinals’ brass couldn’t help but love Dave McGinnis’ enthusiasm. Watching him run up and down the Cards’ sideline during a game, his passion was certainly on display. Unfortunately, it takes much more than a “rah-rah” mentality to be successful as a coach.
When Vince Tobin was abruptly fired after a 2-5 start in 2000, McGinnis took over as interim coach. With a hole to climb out of, the squad sunk, going 1-8 the rest of the way under McGinnis’ guidance. Nevertheless, the front office saw something in him, taking away the interim tag and inking him to a four-year deal.
The Cardinals did show signs of life in 2001 under their new coach. After starting 0-2, the team went .500 the rest of the way to finish at 7-9. Not a sparkling record, but the Cards did flash potential.
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After the NFL realigned, Arizona moved into the NFC West in 2002. They were sitting at a respectable 4-2 after six games before the bottom dropped out. The Cardinals went 1-9 to finish the year, getting beaten soundly in a good portion of the contests.
The club was really dreadful in 2003. They ranked 32nd in points scored and 32nd in points allowed, not a good recipe for winning games. They finished 4-12, and McGinnis was given his walking papers with a year left on his contract.
McGinnis’ final record in the desert was a putrid 17-40. In his defense, the Cards did not have a roster full of talent during his time there. But with that kind of record, McGinnis wasn’t gonna be given the benefit of the doubt to finish out his contract.
McGinnis did continue his NFL coaching career, obtaining jobs with the Tennessee Titans and the St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams. He has garnered respect throughout the league with his defensive know-how. Unfortunately, his reign as Arizona’s head coach was not a memorable one.