Arizona Cardinals’ assistants auditioning for future jobs
By Jim Koch
The Arizona Cardinals are allowing their assistant coaches to showcase their abilities during this year’s preseason games
Arizona Cardinals’ head coach Bruce Arians had a look of boredom on his face during last week’s Hall of Fame game. Having given the play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin against the Dallas Cowboys, the club’s head honcho looked lost. But for Goodwin, it was a golden opportunity to impress future employers.
The Cardinals’ offensive coordinator in name only has been riding Arians’ coattails since their time together with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Goodwin, like many other NFL assistants, wants to become a head coach. He has been interviewed for the top post over the past couple of years, but has obviously been unable to achieve his goal. There’s still hope for 2018, however.
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Arians is giving a similar opportunity to new Cards’ quarterbacks’ coach, Byron Leftwich. The former Jacksonville Jaguars’ signal-caller will be calling plays this Saturday night against the Oakland Raiders. It’s Arizona’s second preseason contest of 2017, the first being the 20-18 loss to the Cowboys last week.
The teacher is extremely high on his newest pupil. “He’ll be a head coach early and fast”, Arians remarked about Leftwich earlier this year. Quarterback Carson Palmer joined in on the praise; “I know when someone knows it and (when) they don’t, and he knows it.”
Giving up the play-calling, albeit only during exhibition games, is an unselfish gesture by Arians. By doing do, he leaves open the possibility that another team will come by and raid his coaching staff. But that’s the idea for it to begin with.
Goodwin and Leftwich are fortunate to be coaching with someone as generous as Arians. He genuinely wants his students to succeed, and will help them in any way he can to reach their goals. The two assistants can only hope that the rest of the league is impressed by their auditions.