The Arizona Cardinals may have lost big on the Sean Payton and Frank Reich sweepstakes, but there could be a hidden diamond in the rough.
The bad news? The Arizona Cardinals won’t be hiring a big name to bring an immediate splash to the organization and interest to the fanbase. The good news? Well, how many first-time head coaches have succeeded in this league?
Names like Sean McVay, Zac Taylor, and Nick Sirianni were all first-timers who coached in Super Bowls, with McVay winning it over Taylor last season. So never fear: Not all hope is lost!
But the Cardinals still need to make the right move here. Below, you will find candidates who have both received an interview and have not been confirmed to either go elsewhere or to remain in their current positions.
So which prospective head coach is the best fit? Here are my latest re-rankings.
7 – Vance Joseph
Vance Joseph will be the Arizona Cardinals absolute last resort. If the coaches ranked above him either go somewhere else, take another job, or stay at their current gig, expect Joseph to take the honors. Therefore, I don’t expect him to be on the Cardinals sideline in any capacity in 2023.
6 – Ejiro Evero
Despite his low ranking, Evero would be a sound hire. He was given a poor hand thanks to the Denver Broncos bad offense, but his defensive unit still shined. Evero, however, has just one season of experience as a defensive coordinator, and he could ideally use another year or two of seasoning.
5 – Brian Callahan
Like Evero, Callahan would be an awesome hire. But what keeps him down in Tier 3 is the sheer mystery surrounding him. Was the Cincinnati Bengals offense explosive because of him, or because of the talent and chemistry at the skill positions? And you also need to ask, How much of it was courtesy to the #2 coach on this list?