Raising Zona
FanSided

Young coaching candidates are enticing to Arizona Cardinals

By Jim Koch

FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 29: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 29, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 29: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 29, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Arizona Cardinals may be thinking that a fresh, young candidate would be a good fit for their vacant head-coaching position

The Arizona Cardinals seem to be well aware of what’s going on in their division. Two of the NFL’s youngest head coaches are currently residing in the NFC West. The Cardinals may be on the verge of hiring a fresh face of their own to join the youth movement.

Both the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay and the San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan are showing Arizona that old and experienced isn’t always better. It now appears that the Cards’ management team is starting to buy into that theory. Some of the individuals that the club has been lining up interviews with certainly fit the “new wave” profile.

This past Wednesday, the Cardinals entertained 40-year old Adam Gase, the former head coach of the Miami Dolphins. The offensive guru, who became unemployed on New Year’s Eve, has the credentials to be a perfect fit in the desert. Cards’ quarterback Josh Rosen is in dire need of some quality mentoring, something that Gase can certainly provide for the young gunslinger.

Another name being tossed around for the Arizona gig is 35-year old Zac Taylor. The Rams’ quarterbacks coach is scheduled to meet with Cardinals’ officials this weekend. Before arriving in Los Angeles, Taylor spent four seasons with the Dolphins, serving as the squad’s offensive coordinator for five games in 2015.

An “out of the box” choice that the Cards are pursuing is USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The 39-year old spent six campaigns as the head coach at Texas Tech University. Arizona beat writer Bob McManaman is reporting that the club may have already met with the intriguing Kingsbury.

Coaches the Cardinals should not hire. dark. Next

Perhaps a youthful head coach would be a good change of pace for the Cardinals. The Rams have reached the playoffs twice in two years with McVay at the helm, and Shanahan is gaining respect as the leader of the 49ers. Arizona would be thrilled if they could find a wunderkind of their own to put the organization back on the map.

Home/Cardinals News