Major network predicts Frank Reich as Arizona Cardinals next coach

One major network has made a bold prediction regarding the Arizona Cardinals head coaching search. That prediction? Frank Reich. 

Last week, the Arizona Cardinals held an under-the-radar interview with former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich. And yesterday, Maurice Moton of the Bleacher Report made the call that Reich will end up in the desert. And when you think about it, Reich would fit well for the Cardinals.

Reich is an offensive-minded coach who never had stability at quarterback during his time in Indianapolis. However, he still finished his career in Indianapolis with a 40-33-1 record, and he also went 1-2 in the playoffs.

While Reich never won the AFC South, he also finished lower than 2nd place just once in his four four seasons at the helm. And despite the Colts firing him after just nine games in favor of the ill-prepared Jeff Saturday, Reich still finished with the better record of 3-5-1. All this came despite horrendous play at quarterback led by the aging Matt Ryan.

Major network believes Frank Reich will coach the Arizona Cardinals

So what made Moton believe that Reich will land in the desert? Here is a snippet of what he had to say:

"“While Sean Payton would also make sense in Arizona, the Cardinals wouldn’t have to give up premium draft capital in a trade to bring Reich aboard. This past season, we saw (Kyler) Murray butt heads with former head coach Kliff Kingsbury, which isn’t uncommon for a quarterback and head coach, but Reich isn’t known for shouting at his players publicly in a combative fashion. With his calm demeanor, he can foster a smoother coach-to-quarterback relationship.” – via AZ Central, originally published in Bleacher Report."

While I’ve been tough on Murray myself, I also agree with Moton. Murray definitely acted defensively toward Kingsbury this season, but was Kliff the catalyst for Murray’s short temper? Did Kliff render it impossible for Murray to take criticism in stride?

Obviously, we don’t know, but if someone with Reich’s calm persona takes over the helm, we will find out. When Murray returns from his ACL injury, if he puts his head down, goes to work, and develops sound leadership qualities, then we will know that is the case.

But if Murray’s antics are a repeat of last season, then we’ll know he’s the problem and it would probably be best if the Redbirds cut ties with the star-crossed quarterback after the 2023 season. Ideally, Murray matures under a coach like Reich (or anyone not named Kliff Kingsbury), and becomes the Arizona Cardinals franchise quarterback.

Time will tell, but if you ask me, Reich would be a perfect fit for Murray. He’s not the only coach that can fill the void, but he would be a one solid addition.

Article Sources:

Frank Reich predicted to become Arizona Cardinals’ next head coach by Jeremy Cluff

Predicting the Hires For Each Open NFL Head Coaching Job in 2023 Offseason by Maurice Moton

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