Arizona Cardinals land an offensive assistant at last
By Jim Koch
The Arizona Cardinals ran the gamut before hiring long-time NFL coach Tom Clements to be Kliff Kingsbury‘s offensive assistant
The Arizona Cardinals sure gave their fans a good scare the other day. The club’s extensive search for an offensive coordinator somehow led them to a sit-down with an extremely unpopular individual. But you can rest easy Cards fans, former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson will not be getting the job.
The “Red Sea” breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced that the much more acceptable Tom Clements has been hired by the Cardinals. The long-time NFL coach will assume the role of offensive assistant with the squad. Clements is basically the team’s coordinator, although head coach Kliff Kingsbury will handle the play-calling duties.
Nevertheless, Clements will be heavily involved in preparing the gameplans. The 65-year old is also in charge of Arizona’s quarterbacks. Having a veteran like Clements around should also make Kingsbury’s transition to the pros a much smoother experience.
The Cards’ front office left no stone unturned in their quest to find a right-hand man for Kingsbury. General manager Steve Keim and company met with no less than six candidates during the thorough hunt. Clements was part of a group that included Ben McAdoo, Steve Sarkisian, John DeFilippo, Jim Bob Cooter and Jackson.
Clements had two previous stints as an coordinator in the league. The offensive guru spent two campaigns (2004-05) as the Buffalo Bills’ play-caller and three more years doing the same for the Green Bay Packers (2012-14). In 2015, Clements was given the title of assistant head coach under Mike McCarthy with the “Pack”.
Clements also served five terms as a quarterbacks coach. His first assignment tutoring passers was with the University of Notre Dame (1992-95). Clements also coached signal-callers for the New Orleans Saints (1997-99), Kansas City Chiefs (2000), Pittsburgh Steelers (2001-03) and Packers (2006-11).
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The Cardinals took their good old time, but they finally found some help for the offense. The acquisition of Clements appears to be an excellent one. Perhaps good things really do come to those who wait.