Why the Arizona Cardinals coaching job would be so unattractive?

There are several reasons the Arizona Cardinals head coaching job would be an attractive role. But there are also reasons why it wouldn’t be. 

The Arizona Cardinals could very well hand head coach Kliff Kingsbury his walking papers on Monday, the day after the season finale against the San Francisco 49ers. There are several reasons Kingsbury needs to go, given his fall from 11-6 to 4-13, his supposed rift with quarterback Kyler Murray, and his refusal to hire an offensive coordinator.

And while I mentioned in the past that the Cardinals head coaching position is more attractive than it looks, not every coaching candidate will feel the same way. So why would owner Michael Bidwill have such a tough time selling what is one of just 32 head coaching gigs in the NFL?

Besides a few outlying seasons, the Cardinals have been one of the NFL’s least successful franchises, both pre and post-merger. They have only won one championship outright, which occurred in 1947. They won the 1925 championship thanks to the Pottsville Maroons’ disqualification.

Arizona Cardinals head coaching position may be tough to fill

That said, a new coach must be willing to implement a massive culture shift. This wouldn’t happen overnight, and it would make that coach wonder how patient Bidwill, Steve Keim (or whoever is sitting in his seat) will be. While Kliff had four years (if he is indeed fired), his predecessor, Steve Wilks, had just one. That would be a major red flag.

Kyler Murray is another huge drawback, though he is also a reason the job is attractive. Murray is a former number one pick with natural talent. But what will he look like when he returns from an ACL injury? Further, when will he return?

This roster is also full of holes, despite brewing with some young talent. You have a hole at quarterback until Murray returns, plus not a single running back on the roster capable of carrying consistent loads given James Conner’s plethora of injuries.

Center and guard are major concerns, then there is the lack of defensive line, where J.J. Watt is retiring, and Zach Allen must re-sign. Finally, you got the destruction Steve Keim caused regarding overall depth.

Keim made a habit of trading away draft capital in the early, middle, and latter part of future drafts. This has left the Cardinals with bare bones depth behind their starters. And when injuries struck, well, what you saw this season unraveled.

There are many reasons to love the Arizona Cardinals potential head coach opening. But there are also many reasons coaching candidates may opt to stay away from it.

Article Source: Replacing a fired Kliff Kingsbury would be a tough sell for Cardinals by Kevin Zimmerman

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