With the Mike LaFleur hiring behind us, we are now at the point of monitoring who he will bring to fill his coaching staff. He’s already filled the offensive coordinator position with Nathaniel Hackett, so it’s just a waiting game for the next big domino to fall.
LaFleur hired Hackett from Green Bay’s coaching staff. At 46 years of age, he already has experience as an offensive coordinator and even a little bit as a head coach. He will have plenty of weapons to work with in Arizona, with the best tight end on planet earth, coupled with a dynamic wide receiver duo.
LaFleur needs to work quickly to assemble his ideal coaching staff since he was hired late in the coaching cycle. This will be important for him if he wants to attract big-name free agents. Certainty is key in decisions like that.
However, it seems as if the wheels are moving in the process of hiring assistants, as LaFleur is conducting numerous interviews. Matter of fact, he may be poaching staffers from his old boss, Sean McVay. One in particular is interviewing for the defensive coordinator opening.
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Cardinals Interviewing Aubrey Pleasant For Defensive Coordinator
Aubrey Pleasant served as the Rams' defensive passing game coordinator in 2025, and he helped develop some young talent on the L.A. defense. From Kamren Curl and Quentin Lake to younger guys like Kobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes, this unit played a vital role in the team’s success in 2025. A season in which they made it to the NFC Championship game.
Arizona has its rock in the secondary in Budda Baker, but around him, there are plenty of younger guys who need developing. Take Will Johnson and Denzel Burke, for example, two rookies who saw the field quite a bit in their inaugural campaigns, filling in for the often-injured Max Melton.
We’ve seen what Pleasant has been able to do with what he had in L.A., and there is a solid chance he follows LaFleur to Arizona. Imagine what he could do with the young talent on the Cardinals; it would give fans something to look forward to.