Ranking the Arizona Cardinals head coaching candidates
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals are in the market for a new head coach. So today, let’s rank the current candidates in their search.
Today, I am ranking six of the top head coaching candidates for the Arizona Cardinals. Below, you will find a mixture of coaches the Cardinals requested and scheduled to interview, and two names who should be on their list.
These rankings are going from worst to first, starting with a candidate the Redbirds should avoid at all costs, and ending with the most sensible possible hire. Without further ado, let’s get started.
6 – Vance Joseph
I’m often the first to butt heads with many in the Arizona Cardinals fanbase, but most of them would agree with me on this one. They need to avoid everyone from the Kingsbury regime at all costs, so hopefully, Vance Joseph is just a worst-case scenario candidate here. He also had a rough outing in Denver a few years back.
5 – Brian Flores
I won’t be the last one to say Flores got a raw deal in Miami and he deserves another crack at becoming a head coach in this league. But if the Arizona Cardinals are going to roll with Kyler Murray next season, an offensive-minded coach is a better fit here.
4 – DeMeco Ryans
Ryans will also be a head coach in this league. And while it would make sense to hire him given his ties to the San Francisco 49ers, he is yet another defensive mind. The Cardinals seriously need to get the best out of Murray, and it would be tough to see Ryans doing that. While I would be excited with the hire, Ryans would also have more than an uphill climb compared to offensive coaches.
3 – Sean Payton
Surprised? Listen, while Payton is a hot commodity, there is no way the Arizona Cardinals need to give up the third overall pick to acquire him. This team is already behind the eight-ball as far as draft picks go, and that’s not a good thing for a franchise in rebuilding mode. So there is no logic in giving up more picks, especially early-round picks, for a coach, regardless of who they are.
2 – Eric Bieniemy
They say Bieniemy’s interview skills kept him from getting a head coaching job. Okay, so that tells me his actions speak louder than his words, and there have been many failed coaches in the NFL who were able to talk a good talk. Just look at Rex Ryan. Anyway, Bieniemy has shown for years that he can run an entire unit almost flawlessly, and the Cardinals need to schedule an interview with him sooner than later.
1 – Frank Reich
The Cardinals need to go out of their way to hire Frank Reich, and I’ve been saying for months that he should be in serious consideration. For one, Reich has risen to multiple challenges since his college days. And for another, we’ve seen him coach adequate teams even with the league’s wildest quarterback carousel.
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In short, the Cardinals need to schedule Reich for an interview before someone else offers him the job. He completed his interview with the Carolina Panthers, so there is a strong possibility he winds up there. Reich is also a popular choice for teams looking for an offensive coordinator.
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