3 traits the Arizona Cardinals must look for in their next coach
By Sion Fawkes
With reports describing Kliff Kingsbury as “miserable” with the Arizona Cardinals, odds are greater that he will not be the coach of this team in 2023.
Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury has not been entirely happy with the team during this tumultuous season. Things could be coming to an end for the much-maligned coach, either through resignation or, if owner Michael Bidwill has seen enough, termination.
Let’s take a second and assume Kliff is not on the sidelines for 2023. If that is the case, then the Cardinals will be conducting their first coaching search in four seasons. Here are three traits the potential new coach must possess for the greatest probability for this team to achieve.
1 – Flexibility
One major trait the next head coach of this team must have is flexibility. Kliff has never possessed this quality, given his stubbornness in holding onto play-calling duties and force-feeding the “Air Raid” offense down quarterback Kyler Murray’s throat.
This lack of flexibility has led to Murray severely underperforming when compared to quarterbacks like 2020 first overall pick, Joe Burrow, who has since led the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance and another likely AFC North title.
2 – Relatability
One reason Arizona Sports described Kliff as “miserable” stems from the fact he wasn’t always able to relate and work well with peers. Okay, so perhaps it would be a nightmare to work with Steve Keim, given the latter’s abysmal drafting record and handing the team short windows of opportunity.
Either way, a potential new coach for the Arizona Cardinals must find a way to maintain a healthy working relationship with their peers. They must also be willing to hire and work with a sound offensive coordinator, something Kliff flat out refused to do, though he briefly entertained the idea.
3 – Unpredictability
Watching the Arizona Cardinals this season was like watching a Seinfeld episode in syndication for the past 30 years. Kliff’s “Air Raid” offense was so predictable, it’s easy to see why Murray and Company had statistically some of their worst seasons.
Any potential new coach must stress the importance of unpredictability, perhaps with a more balanced approach to the offense, or even sending Murray on designed runs that on the surface, look like passing plays. We saw Kliff try to mold Murray into more of a traditional passer, and the results were disastrous.
Cardinals: Kliff Kingsbury set himself up to fail. light. Must Read
Let Murray operate in an unpredictable, backyard fashion, and watch this team shine. Hopefully, a potential new coach understands this. There is enough talent on this team that all a potential new coach needs to do is come in, tailor the playbook to fit the team’s strengths, then start winning games.
Article Source: Report: Kliff Kingsbury ‘miserable’ with Cardinals, has fractured relationships by Arizona Sports
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