Arizona Cardinals overlooking darkhorse candidate in coaching search
By Jim Koch
Underrated defensive wizard Lou Anarumo could come out of nowhere and be named the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
On Thursday, the Arizona Cardinals continued their search for a head coach with the number-one option on the market. The Sean Payton watch is on as the “Red Sea” impatiently waits for the announcement that the franchise-changing 59-year-old has been hired.
If things don’t work out with Payton, however, there’s another head-coaching candidate who has inexplicably flown under the radar. It’s more than a little surprising that Lou Anarumo, the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, has so far been ignored. Could the Cardinals turn to the underrated coach if they can’t land Payton?
Actually, Anarumo should have been near the top of Arizona’s wish-list from the beginning. The job he has done with the Bengals defense has been more than phenomenal. Unfortunately, Anarumo’s contingent in Cincy gets overshadowed a bit by an offense that features stud contributors such as Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Mixon.
Just last week, Anarumo’s unit went on the road and held one of the NFL’s most-explosive scoring attacks to just 10 points. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen generated zero passing touchdowns, and frustrated Bills wideout Stefon Diggs was limited to a measly 35 yards receiving.
Arizona Cardinals should be impressed with the unheralded Lou Anarumo
Anarumo was chosen to lead Cincinnati’s defensive unit back in February of 2019, joining newly-acquired head coach Zac Taylor’s staff. The two have worked well together, and have guided the Bengals to a second-consecutive AFC Championship appearance. Anarumo’s system was not successful from the very beginning, but Taylor has talked about the defense’s dramatic transformation over the past couple of campaigns.
"“You could see the vision of what he was trying to get going, and it takes time to iron out the wrinkles in the scheme. Everything we’ve done here requires patience. You can see what happens when you have patience, and it’s an awesome thing to see.” – via Fox 19."
The 56-year-old Anarumo entered the league 11 years ago as a defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins, and performed the same duty with the New York Giants back in 2018. The Staten Island, New York native also served as an interim coordinator for the Dolphins in 2015.
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For now, many Cards fans have their minds set on Payton coming to the desert. If that doesn’t come to fruition, the organization should strongly consider handing the underrated Anarumo the gig.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)
Article Source: NFL teams skipping Lou Anarumo in head-coaching searches ‘a joke,’ says analyst by Brian Planalp
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