The Cardinals have done it four times already, bringing in a pair of college coaches to fill open positions on Mike LaFleur’s coaching staff. But who says they will stop? They haven’t, as they brought in college coach No. 5 into the mix.
The Arizona Cardinals brought in University of Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski to become its next defensive line coach. Along with Zac Etheridge, Matt Merritt, Brett Ekkens, and Brent Jackson, LaFleur has surrounded himself with a youth movement on the coaching staff.
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Kwiatkowski, who gained experience under one of college football’s most well-known offensive minds, Steve Sarkisian, understands what it takes to stop a high-octane unit. He will have the chance to develop a young core of players on the defensive line, such as Walter Nolen III, who was selected at pick No. 16 in 2025’s draft.
Kwiatkowski will also benefit from veteran presence, with future Hall of Famer Calais Campbell, along with a solid edge rusher in Josh Sweat.
Before coming to Arizona, Kwiatkowski obviously spent four years with the Texas Longhorns. However, before moving to Austin, he had been with the University of Washington since 2014, serving a wide variety of different roles that included experience as a defensive coordinator.
Before Washington, Kwiatkowski spent time at Boise State and Montana State in an assistant role. This wide array of experience will only benefit him as he makes the jump from collegiate to pro coaching.
He will have defensive coordinator Nick Rallis to rely on for any assistance, as well as the other college minds that made the leap of faith to the NFL.
It will be very interesting to see how all of these hires pan out for Arizona.