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Assistant Coach Status Updates
(click
here for a
detailed write-up of all newly hired assistants)
3/22/07 Miller New WR
Coach. Ward New Offensive Quality Control Coach - The Cardinals promoted
Mike Miller to become our new receivers coach and hired Dedric Ward to be in
charge of offensive quality control.
3/07 Anderson Released
- You could say that WR Coach Richie Anderson's stint with the Cardinals was
"short and sweet." Anderson was dismissed by the team in the aftermath of a
local off-the-field incident.
2/14/07 Aiken New
D-Line Coach - Ken Whisenhunt looked to the college ranks to pluck Iowa
defensive line coach Ron Aiken from Kurt Ferentz's coaching staff. Aiken is
highly regarded by football savvy people and gets credit for developing such
former Hawkeye linemen as Matt Ross Miami), Aaron Kampman
(Pack),
Derreck
Robinson (San Diego) and Jonathan Babineaux (Atlanta). Aiken's hiring rounds
out Whisenhunts assistant coaching search.
2/7/07 Cards Add 4
Assistant Coaches - As anticipated, the Cards signed Freddie
Kitchens to be tight ends coach, moved recently hired Richie Anderson
to become receivers coach, Jeff Rutledge to be QB coach, Mike Miller
an offensive assistant and Matt Raich defensive quality control
coach. The team will retain Rick Courtright as assistant DB
coach. We still need to hire a defensive line coach.
2/2/07 New
Names Surface in Cards' Search - Dallas TE Coach, Freddie Kitchens
and former Dolph DL Coach, Dan Quinn were mentioned by their local
media as being up for Cardinal assistant coaching positions.
The Fort Worth
Star Telegraph was the source of the Kitchens buzz. Since the Cardinals
already have a TE Coach (Richie Anderson) the CW is that Kitchens - who
worked with new OC Todd Haley at Dallas - would come aboard in a different
capacity.
The story out of
South Florida is that Quinn has been negotiating new terms with recently
hired Dolphin head coach Cam Cameron when the talks abruptly ended (as,
apparently, did Quinn's career in Miami). He is given credit for a 48-sack
Dolphin season (which included 12 sacks by Jason Taylor). The Cards aren't
the only team in the hunt - Tampa Bay and other teams are said to also have
expressed interest.
1/28/07 Carthon
and Anderson Join Cards - The anticipated appointment of Mo Carthon as
Cardinal RB coach is official. So is the addition of former Jets assistant
receivers/TE coach Richie Anderson to coach Cardinal TE's. Both have
coached with Ken Whisenhunt who observed:
"I have
great respect for each of these coaches and from working with them in the
past, I know they will bring a lot to our staff."
This leaves
coaching vacancies at QB, WR and TE to still be filled.
1/28/07 Carthon
Expected to Join Cards - Both the major AZ dailies and the ESPN crawl
report that former Cleveland offensive coordinator and Giants RB, Mo Carthon
is expected to be the new Cardinal RB coach. Carthon was with Whisenhunt on
the Jets and Todd Haley on the Cowboys under Bill Parcells. Carthon was also
with Parcells when he coached the NE Patriots. The addition of Carthon would
give the Cardinal coaching staff a very strong Bill Parcells and Bill Cowher
influence emphasizing tough, physical, gritty, disciplined football. We just
hope that the Cardinals don't fully adopt Parcells' conservative ways
offensively (although if it were to help earn our players Super Bowl rings
like they did Parcells, who could argue).
1/25/07 Cards
Name Offensive/Defensive Coordinators - It's Todd Haley and Clancy
Pendergast. Haley comes from Dallas. Clancy has been reappointed defensive
coordinator of the Cardinals. According to the official Cardinal press
release:
"A coaching
veteran of 10 seasons in the National Football League, Haley comes to the
Cardinals from Dallas where he was passing game coordinator/wide receivers
coach on the staff of Bill Parcells. Prior to his three seasons with the
Cowboys (2004-06), Haley was Chicago’s receivers coach for three campaigns
(2001-03) under head coach Dick Jauron. He began his coaching career with
the New York Jets and spent the 1997-2000 seasons as an assistant on
Parcells’ staff there. After starting as an assistant to offensive
coordinator Charlie Weis, he was elevated to receivers coach and spent the
1999 and 2000 seasons in that capacity. Haley spent the 1995 and ’96 seasons
in the Jets scouting department. In his career, Haley’s receiving corps have
featured some of the game’s best including Keyshawn Johnson, Wayne Chrebet,
and Laveranues Coles with the Jets; Marty Booker with the Bears; and
Johnson, Terry Glenn and Terrell Owens with the Cowboys. According to Coach
Whisenhunt:
"“I’ve
worked with Todd before and I know he’s been under two very good coaches,
Dan Henning and Bill Parcells, and he was part of an offense that ranked
fifth in the National Football League last year, so obviously he’s had
success,” commented Whisenhunt. “He’s worked hard in this business and come
up in the ranks and done a good job.”
“I think he’ll be valuable as far as organizing a plan and being involved
with putting it in and making sure the staff is on the same page,” said
Whisenhunt. “I think it also gives me a crutch to lean on as far as not
having to be as involved in the planning aspect of it, but still having the
time to prepare especially for calling the games.”
Pendergast
spent the last three campaigns as Arizona’s defensive coordinator and has
been an NFL assistant for 12 seasons in all. In his first year as Cardinals
defensive coordinator, his unit’s overall ranking improved from 26th to 12th
and then to 8th in 2005. His defense has also been particularly adept at
producing takeaways. Last season, Arizona forced 33 turnovers (17 fumble
recoveries, 16 interceptions), the most since 1998. It was their second
consecutive season with 30+ takeaways. Prior to joining the Cardinals,
Pendergast had coached previously at the NFL level with Houston, Dallas, and
Cleveland.
Whisenhunt
confirmed that Pendergast has met with several of the new assistants
throughout the interview process and added:
“I
compliment Clancy on the job that he’s done in the past and I’m very
excited,” commented Whisenhunt on retaining Pendergast. “We had a couple of
long discussions about philosophy and where we want the defense and I’m
excited to get that done with him. I think he’s an extremely bright young
coach and he’s had some success here and I think that the value of
continuity with our defense will be a good thing instead of having to learn
new on both sides of the ball.”
Today’s
hirings bring the number of assistants on Whisenhunt’s coaching staff to
seven. Haley and Pendergast join assistant head coach/offensive line Russ
Grimm, defensive backs coach Teryl Austin, linebackers coach Billy Davis,
strength and conditioning coach John Lott, and special teams coach Kevin
Spencer.
Whisenhunt
expects the balance of hiring process to take place a bit faster, now:
“I think
that the one thing I’ve learned being around this business is that you don’t
rush this. I don’t think you hire someone just to fill the staff. I can’t
give you a time table on it but I would like to rap it up sometime in the
week.”
1/25/07
Remaining Openings - Rumors Abound - With the hiring of Russ Grimm (and
the release of Frank Bush, Steve Loney and Mike Wilson), attention moved to
coaching openings; including: OC, DC, QB, RB and DL. Hot names mentioned in
conjunction with the Offensive Coordinators' positions were Bruce Arians
(who has been retained as Steeler OC), Eagle QB coach, Pat Shurmer, Cowboy
receivers coach Todd Haley (who coached with Whisenhunt for the Jets),
Jaguar offensive coach, Carl Smith (who reportedly turned down the
position). Haley remains the hottest name, but his status (especially in
light of buzz that Jason Garrett will either become Cowboy OC or head coach)
is uncertain - Cardinals had been refused permission to speak with him.
Clancy Pendergast
was considered to be on Jerry Jones' short list, but there are reports that
he has not been contacted. (Dallas is said to prefer someone steeped in the
3-4. Although Clancy has incorporated some of its features, he's more of a
4-3 base/multiple fronts defensive strategist). Steeler QB coach, Marc
Whipple wasn't retained by Mike Tomlin and is considered a top candidate for
QB coach. On the D-line front, Charger defensive line coach, Wayne Nunnely
turned down Cardinal overatures. Former SF defensive line coach, Gary
Emmanuel is said to be under consideration. Confused? So are we.
1/23/07 "The
Godfather" Now a Cardinal - We're not sure if it was Wolfley, Brickley,
Jurecki or Calvisi who coined the nickname, but on hearing Russ Grimm's
post-interview press conference tape, he said, "We've got to bring this guy
to the Valley - He sounds just like The Godfather.
Well, ladies and
gentlemen, our wishes have come true. This excerpt from the Cardinal
official website:
"Tempe,
AZ – The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced the hiring of Russ
Grimm as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line...
“Obviously
I know Russ very well from our time together with the Steelers and adding a
coach of his caliber to the staff is tremendous,” said Cardinals head coach
Ken Whisenhunt.
Grimm began his 11-year playing career with the Redskins when they selected
him in the third round of the 1981 draft out of the University of
Pittsburgh. His outstanding career saw him earn four consecutive Pro Bowl
selections (1983-86). A first-team selection to the NFL’s 1980s all-decade
team, Grimm was a member of Washington’s renowned “Hogs” offensive line that
helped the Redskins notch four Super Bowl appearances and three victories.
He was among the 10 finalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall of
Fame in 2006 and is one of 17 finalists for induction this year...
Grimm
becomes the fifth assistant added to Whisenhunt’s coaching staff. He joins
defensive backs coach Teryl Austin, linebackers coach Billy Davis, strength
and conditioning coach John Lott, and special teams coach Kevin Spencer.
We
were rooting very hard for Grimm's appointment (sweating out the Steeler HC
job possibility, the opening in Dallas and then yesterday's report that Mike
Tomlin planned to retain most of the Steeler staff) because we believe that
a team takes on the persona of its head coach (in this case its assistant
HC) and the Cardinals needed to become a mentally and physically tougher
football team.
We
feel this is more likely to happen now. The Godfather's in town.
1/22/07
Coaching Dominos Fall ( & Unfall) - Cardinal fans eagerly awaited the
official naming of Mike Tomlin as Steeler head coach in the hope that his
appointment would free up Steeler assistants like Russ Grimm, Dick LeBeau
and others. However, Tomlin indicated on NFL Network that LeBeau would be
retained, and he declined to say anything else about specific assistants.
Next came a Ken Whisenhunt comment on KTAR that he expected to wind up his
assistant coaching search within a week or so and that contractual
agreements continue to keep him from contacting certain Steeler assistants
(like Grimm, LeBeau, Arians or Whipple). Then came the other
blockbuster: Bill Parcells announced that he would not return to be head
coach of Team Felon - which means that there will be additional competition
for the services of Grimm and other candidates for Cardinal assistant
positions.
And now this via
the ASFB board -
"Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, report
Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach Russ Grimm, a finalist for the
team's head coaching vacancy, will likely not return to the team. Grimm is
expected to be allowed out of his contract with the team." So you never
know.
And now this on
our Offensive Coordinator position - reportedly by John Clayton via
"Kerouac9" on the ASFN board: "New Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt will
interview Eagles quarterback coach Pat Shurmur on Monday for the
offensive coordinator job. Shurmur was considered a strong candidate for the
Michigan State head coaching job.?" According to Kerouac - "Shurmur worked
with a great QB in McNabb, but he's never called his own plays (Reid has
done that). Also, the Eagles are notorious for poor clock management. It'll
be interesting to see how that shakes out. The Eagles run a pretty
traditional west-coast system, with no-name WRs."
1/19/07 The
Cardinals signed 3 more assistants:
Kevin Spencer
as special teams coach,
Billy Davis
as linebackers coach, and
John Lott
as strength and conditioning coach, joining defensive backs coach Teryl
Austin. Said Kent Whisenhunt" “All three of these coaches bring a great deal
of experience and expertise to the coaching staff.
Given his
previous body of work as Steeler special teams coach (see his write up), the
signing on of Spencer should bode well for the Cardinals, whose lapses in
punt and kickoff coverage cost them at least one or two football games last
year. The hiring of Davis, the Forty Niner DC for two years raises questions
about the future on the Cardinals of current LB coach Frank Bush (who also
holds the title of Assistant Head Coach) and possibly current defensive
coordinator Clancy Pendergast. It also makes us wonder whether or not
Cardinal defensive players will have to get used to new defensive schemes
and terminology. (Note - EVT beat writer, Darren Urban has come flat out and
said that the hiring of Davis means that Bush has been let go (perhaps to
explore other opportunities with his good friend Gary Kubiak with the
Texans).
Newly Hired Assistants
One thing that leaps out at you is that most of them
have worked before with Whisenhunt and his other assistants so that - as
John Lott put it - "the players will know we are all speaking with one
voice."
Russ Grimm -
Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach
Up for the Cardinal and Steeler head coaching jobs but didn't get them. With
the appointment of Mike Tomlin as Steeler head coach, he now joins his old
friend, Ken Whisenhunt here in the Valley. He brings a physical, no-nonsense
attitude to the Cardinal organization - something we feel will be a
welcome improvement.
Head Coaching Interview Notes:
Russ likes what he
sees and what the Cardinal organization has to offer. He feels the team is
headed in the right direction, and the organization is making all the right
moves regardless of who becomes head coach ("We'll talk a little more, and
then we'll see").
Grimm watched tape
on the plane and feels that (a) there's a lot of talent on the Cardinal
roster, (b) the players play with effort, (c) they want to win and (c) in
some ways are fed up with the way things have gone. He spent more time
looking at players than at schemes.
He feels no NFL
team is that far away from playoff contention due to free agency, salary
cap, toughness of schedule and parity (some teams make the playoffs one year
and not the next - and vice versa). "The difference in talent-level among
the teams is narrow." Regarding the team's past, he believes that "whatever
goes around comes around" - there's an ebb and flow that takes place during
a game, during a season and even over a longer period of time. "You just do
your best to put the best product on the field" and let the chips fall.
Changing course
"takes a lot of hard work, mental toughness, discipline and a lot of time
away from family, but with the right people under the right circumstances,
you can turn things around.
He doesn't know
Matt Leinart that well, but - based on what he's seen and heard about him -
has every reason to be excited. On offense, Grimm believes in "running the
football first" but not being one dimensional. He also believes in putting
players (specifically the QB) in the best position to succeed (i.e. if Matt
is more comfortable making certain throws or moving in certain directions,
plays that are called should reflect this).
In response to the
final question about negative perceptions of the Bidwills - he's known them
since his days with the Redskins and is not aware of any negatives.
"They have made every effort to make this a first class organization and to
give back to the community." He considers the Bidwills and the Cardinals to
be "a class owner and a class organization."
Todd Haley -
Offensive
Coordinator
Worked with
Whisenhunt when they were both with the Jets.
A coaching
veteran of 10 seasons...was passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach
for the Cowboys on the staff of Bill Parcells. Before that, he was Chicago’s
receivers coach for three campaigns under head coach Dick Jauron. Began his
coaching career with the New York Jets as an assistant on Parcells’ staff as
an assistant to Charlie Weis...spent the 1995 and ’96 seasons in the Jets
scouting department. He's coached Keyshawn Johnson, Wayne Chrebet, and
Laveranues Coles with the Jets; Marty Booker with the Bears; and Johnson,
Terry Glenn and Terrell Owens with the Cowboys.
Clancy
Pendergast - Defensive Coordinator-
Served as Cardinal DC under Dennis Green. Interviewed for the HC position
and is one of three coaches on the Cardinal staff who interviewed for that
job. This should give the Cardinal players a degree of continuity of both
schemes and terminology on the defensive side of the ball, though Clancy
will be working with LB coach Billy Davis, DB coach Teryl Austin and a new
defensive line coach.
Ken Whisenhunt has
already referred to a defense that will "remain a base 4-3, but incorporate
some of the principles of the 3 - 4 (in which offenses can never be certain
where the pressure will come from or who the 4th pass rusher will be).
Kevin Spencer - Special
Teams Coach -
comes to
the Cardinals with 16 years of experience as an NFL assistant and has spent
the last five seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ special teams coach. In
his second season with the Steelers, Spencer was selected as the 2003 NFL
Special Teams Coach of the Year by his peers. In Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl
championship season a year ago, special teams played a big part. The
Steelers returned two punts for touchdowns for the second time in his
Pittsburgh stint and the unit ranked fourth in the conference with a net
punting average of 34.5 yards.
According to Coach Whisenhunt:
"Special teams is such an important part of the game and can be the
difference between wins and losses. Obviously we want that area to be a
strength for our team and we’re confident it will be. Kevin has always been
successful getting the most from his players, whether it was Antwaan Randle
El or Mike Vanderjagt or an undrafted free agent on playing on kickoff
coverage."
Jeff Rutledge
- Quarterbacks Coach -
Back in the day,
Rutledge was considered a top draft pick at QB by Kiper, Buchsbaum and other
draft gurus and played 14 years in the NFL.
(LA Rams
1979-81, New York Giants 1983-89, Washington Redskins 1990-92).
During the past
five seasons,
he coached
Nashville’s Montgomery Bell Academy, Rutledge compiled a 41-17 record and
won the state championship in 2002 and 2003.
Before that, he
coached quarterbacks at Vandy for five years.
He's a two-time
Super Bowl winner who played his college football at Alabama where he led
the Crimson Tide to a national title in 1978 under legendary head coach Bear
Bryant.
Mo Carthon
- Running Backs Coach -
Carthon spent the last two seasons as the offensive
coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. His coaching career began as an
offensive assistant under Bill Parcells with New England and the Jets before
joining the Detroit Lions staff, first as RB coach then offensive
coordinator. He then moved to Dallas as OC/RB Coach before accepting the
position of OC with the Browns. He began his NFL playing career with the
Giants and played seven seasons there before finishing his career in Indy.
He has 2 Super Bowl rings ((both as a player) and never missed a game due to
injury.
Freddie
Kitchens, Tight Ends Coach
Coached TE's in Dallas - his first year as an
NFL assistant.
Kitchens comes to the Cardinals
after spending the 2006 season as the tight ends coach for the Dallas
Cowboys (helping to guide Jason Witten to his third consecutive Pro Bowl
season). He spent 10 seasons as a player and coach at the college level. He
was three-year starter at quarterback for the Crimson Tide, ending his
college tenure with a 22-13 record as a starter.
Mike Miller, Receivers
Coach-
Promoted from offensive assistant to fill spot vacated by Richie Anderson.
Out of the league last year, while he was QB coach of the Berlin Thunder in
NFLE. Started his coaching career as an offensive assistant in Pittsburgh
and before that a TE coach and quality control coach with the Bills. .
Presumably, he knows what Whisenhunt's priorities are and can communicate
them effectively to the players.
Dedric Ward,
Offensive Quality Control Coach
Ward was the wide receivers coach for Missouri State last season. He caught
167 passes for 2,307 yards and 12 touchdowns during his eight-year NFL
career with the Jets, Cowboys, Dolphins, Ravens and Patriots.
Ron Aiken, Defensive Line
Coach
Interesting article from the Iowa City Press
Citizen's Andy Hamilton mentions that
Aiken, 51, joined the Hawkeyes in 1999 as part of Kurt Ferentz’s
original staff. and has been pursued by other suitors during his eight
seasons there.He and thw Whiz worked together for two seasons at Vanderbilt.
He's given credit for the development of such Iowa
line standouts as Aaron Kampman. Miami's Matt Roth feels the transition to
the pros by Aiken should be easy:
“I think it’s good for Ron. I always thought he’d be a
defensive coordinator or a head coach somewhere, but I think this will be
good for him. I always thought very highly of Ron. He’s not only a good
coach, but he was real good for college-level kids. He was good with
discipline and he was a father figure for a lot of kids on the team.”
“He’s relentless in coaching, and he never shows
favorites,” Roth said. “He never treated his better players any differently
than his young players, which was good. You always got good coaching and
good feedback.”
Under Aiken, the Hawkeyes ranked seventh or better
against the run in three straight seasons beginning in 2002. He coached four
NFL draft choices at Iowa, as well as two others who signed as free agents
by the pros. Says Veronica Iwebema - the mother of senior defensive end
Kenny Iwebema:
“He’s a father. Take coaching away, he’s a
disciplinarian. He’s everything you want for your son when his father’s not
there, and you want somebody who will represent that. Coach Aiken
represented all that. “What he promised, he delivered. He’s a man of his
word. He’s a man that says this is what I’m going to do, and that is what he
does. … When you have someone like that in your family’s life, you are well
assured that no matter what the situation, no matter what the circumstance
might be, that you have 100-percent trust in somebody that can take care of
it.”
Billy Davis
- Linebackers Coach -
Was DC for the San Francisco 49ers for the past 2 seasons and has 14 total
years of experience as an NFL assistant. After spending 1990 and ’91 as a
graduate assistant at Michigan State, he began his NFL coaching career as a
defensive assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1992-94. He then moved
on to the Carolina Panthers (1995-98), Cleveland Browns (1999), Green Bay
Packers (2000), Atlanta Falcons (2001-03) and New York Giants (2004) before
his two-year stint in San Francisco. The Youngstown, OH, native was a
college QB and receiver at the University of Cincinnati (1985-88).
Whisenhunt points out that: "in
his career, Billy Davis has been able to learn under some very talented
defensive football coaches – people like Dick LeBeau, Marvin Lewis, and Dom
Capers. He has certainly benefited from those experiences and his expertise
will be a big asset for our team.”
Teryl Austin, Defensive
Backs Coach -
Formerly Seattle's DB coach. Worked under Ray
Rhodes and helped develop Seattle defensive standouts, Marcus Trufaunt,
Michael Boulware, Jordan Babineaux and Ken Hamlin
Rich Courtright, Assistant
Defensive Backs Coach -
Retained to assist Austin with DB's.
He spent
the past three seasons as the defensive quality control coach with the
Cardinals, helping with the safeties. He was instrumental in helping to
guide Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson to his first career Pro Bowl
selection. Prior to joining the Cardinals, he spent 13 years as a college
assistant coach at various chools.
Matt
Raich, Defensive Quality Control Assistant
Raich had been
Miller’s replacement as offensive assistant for the Steelers, where he's
worked the past three seasons.
Sarted his
NFL career as an intern in the Steelers player personnel department
(2002-03). Prior to joining the Steelers, Raich served two seasons as an
assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Robert Morris (2000-02).
John Lott -
Weight Training Coach -
Completed his second season with the Browns and his 10th in the NFL. Was
strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets for 7 years prior to
that...played four seasons as an offensive lineman and one NFL season for
the Steelers beginning his career as a strength and conditioning coach.
Actions
speak louder than words - The one thing that jumped out at us during a
recent Lott interview was his answer to the question: "
Will there be any additions to the
Cardinals weight room?": “We are getting rid of everything, but
the lights. We are getting new carpets, a new floor, new squat racks, new
benches, new dumbbells, medicine balls, cabinets, and it is really going to
be a lot.”
Whisenhunt
says that “John not only has the experience but also the energy and
enthusiasm that is so important for this position. His reputation is
outstanding and we have no doubt he’ll do the same quality of work here that
he’s done throughout his career.”
Holdovers From
Previous Staff
Said to be
Considered.
-
Keith Butler - Steeler LB Coach
Cards were
denied permission to speak with him. This could change depending on the new
Steeler HC. Or not.
-
Jeff Davidson - Cleveland Assistant Head Coach/OL Coach
Expected to
interview with us this week. Called plays for 10 games last year after
Maurice Carthon was let go. Has interviewed for Cleveland OC position but
not sure of getting it.
-
Mike Maser - Former Carolina Offensive Line Coach
Recently
let go by Panteras so he could be available immediately to interview.
-
Other
Possibilities
Pat Shurmer QB coach of Philly was interviewed (presumably for the OC
job) but conceivably could wind up here for the QB coaching position. Former
Steeler QB coach Marc Whipple - thought to be a contender for the QB
coaching job - has been replaced by Ken Anderson in Pittsburgh and is
available.
1/18/07 - The
Cardinals announced the hiring of
Teryl Austin
as their DB coach. He spent the last four seasons as Seattle's DB coach.
According to Ken Whisenhunt about his first hire as head coach:
“Teryl is a very talented coach and we are thrilled to add him to our staff.
Seattle had tremendous success in the four years he was there. They made the
playoffs every season, won the division the last three, advanced to the
Super Bowl and he was a contributor to that success. He has also developed a
strong reputation for his work with young players, not only in Seattle but
also at the college level. The accomplishments of his position players
really speak to the quality of coach he is.”
Before the Hawks, he spent 12 years as an assistant in the college ranks -
including stints at Penn State, Wake Forest, Syracuse and Michigan. Among
the young DB's he helped to develop were Marcus Trufant, Michael Boulware
and Kelly Jennings. At Syracuse he helped develop Donovin Darius, Tebucky
Jones, Will Allen, Keith Bulluck, and Kevin Abrams and with Michigan, Marlin
Jackson and Cato June.
This is a
very important hire, considering the need to develop our young corners (Antrel
Rolle and Eric Green) along with budding backup FS Aaron Francisco. problems
uncovered in the Cardinal secondary; particularly in the second half of the
season; most notably, Rolle's 15-yard cushions and Green's inability to look
back on the ball when his man took him deep. There had been some grousing
about "cronyism" when Dennis Green brought in Richard Solomon to coach the
DB's. Solomon has since left the team.
1/17/07 - NFL
Network reports that OC Mike Kruczek and defensive line coach
Larry Brooks have been let go. No replacements yet named.
Events Leading
Up to Whisenhunt's appointment.
Whisenhunt was back for a second interview - which, as planned (but don't
read anything into it) spanned Friday afternoon and Saturday. His strengths
are said to be (a) fearless play calling, (b) the development and
utilization of "slash" type players like Randle El and Kordell Stewart and
(c) belief in a strong running game. Along with Russ Grimm, Whisehunt
remains in contention for the Pittsburgh HC job; however their list of
candidates is said to have broadened to include the Packer DC (Tomlin),
former Dallas HC and Pittsburgh OC Chan Gailey and (wow!) Mike Sherman.
Interview Notes:
In his presser,
Whisenhunt seemed like a bright guy, though a bit dazzled by the whirlwind
activity of the head coaching carousel. He says he feels "lucky" to have
been in the right place at the right time in Pittsburgh and having the
opportunity to learn from someone like Bill Cowher. Pittsburgh "has been
good to him", but no opening existed there "until today." Obviously,
familiarity with the Steeler system is a "plus" but there are other plenty
of factors to consider too.
In response to a
question that apparently had to do with some of the politics of front
office policy, he says he'd rather base his decision more on "what he sees
on tape" (though he did mention that issues like how personnel and player
acquisition decisions are made would certainly be factors he'd consider).
He believes in
finding ways to make the most of the talent and potential of each player
rather than force each one to conform to the system.
He feels the
Cardinals have a lot of talent at the offensive skill positions and
considers having a talented young QB to work with (Leinart) "a factor"
("Good young quarterbacks don't grow on trees"). He describes the Cardinal
defense as "physical" and sees some similarity between our style of defense
and the Steeler defense (fondly referred to as "Blitzburgh").
Regarding what
it's like to riding the roller coaster uncertainty of the coaching interview
process, Whisenhunt said he accepts the advice of Steeler elder statesman
and DB coach, Dick LeBeau - "I've already have a job I like. If I don't get
another, the one I have is a pretty good one."
Q & A Session by Local Media
Q. How many plays do you "script" to start a game on offense?
Whisenhunt: I script about the first 10.
Q: Can you explain that process?
Whisenhunt: I get input from everybody during the course of the week --
the offensive staff and the quarterbacks. I get their top plays in each
category -- first two plays of the game, play-action, drop back,
third-down plays. And then we talk about it as a coaching staff. I rank
the top 10 plays, what we think will be good. Sometimes it's easy,
sometimes it's hard. It's not locked in for the first 10 plays of the
game, it's more of an idea where you're going to go. The first 10
usually always are our first- and second-down plays. Then I'll
categorize our third-down plays.
Q: So
you have a group of plays you want to use at the outset of a game, but
do you start the game with one definite play?
Whisenhunt: Yes. Usually, we predetermine what we want to run the first
two plays of the game.
Q: No
matter where the ball is?
Whisenhunt: No matter where the ball is. Now, there are certain
situations -- if you get a big return into the red zone, you're not
going to run one of those plays there or if you're tight on the goal
line. We've been pretty good about consistently sticking with those
plays.
Q:
What's involved in putting together a game plan?
Whisenhunt: Well, the way we do it, which I think is the best way, all
the coaches are in the room together. And we go through each section,
whether it's first- and second-down runs, first- and second-down passes,
third-down passes, play-action passes. In each category, we have a
certain number of plays we're going to put into this week's game plan.
It's a little bit flexible -- some weeks maybe more, some weeks maybe
less. We discuss it and we put it on a big board and we come up with the
plays. And that's what consists of our game plan.
Q: Do you choose certain plays out of your playbook for each situation
to put into your game plan for that week?
Whisenhunt: The way we do it, we categorize plays -- third down and 2-5
yards, third down and 6-8, third down, 9-plus. Within that subcategory,
we'll rank them how we like them. Then on Friday, I'll put them in
situations for different downs and distances on different parts of the
field. All the coaches have input on what they like.
Q: How
do you pick one play to call?
Whisenhunt: If it's, for example, second and 8 and we have a category
second and 7-10, we'll have plays listed for that and you just go down
to the play you like. It may not be your first play ranked, because they
may be doing something differently and you may have to go to your third
or fourth play.
Q: What
happens when your opponent's defense comes out in a different alignment
in certain situations?
Whisenhunt: Usually, you don't get what you prepare for. A lot of times
you get something different and you have to adjust. We have very good
coaches who do a very good job of sideline adjustments. We're flexible,
our offensive line is flexible, our players are flexible. Training camp
allows you to do that.
Q: When you call the play upstairs, who do you relay it to?
Whisenhunt: Mark Whipple, [the quarterbacks coach] who gives it to the
quarterback. I can't go straight from the booth to the quarterback.
Q: Who
else on the staff hears you calling the play?
Whisenhunt: Everybody.
Q: Does
Bill Cowher ever step in and reject one of your calls?
Whisenhunt: Oh, he has veto power and he has input. He has a very good
feel for the game. In fact, some of the games where he's had input on a
call during the course of the game has worked very well.
Q: Do
you permit quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to audible to another play at
the line of scrimmage?
Whisenhunt: In certain situations, yes. In certain ones, no. In certain
ones we try to take care of that so we don't put too much on him. That
will expand as he becomes more comfortable with the offense and that's
what's occurring. That's what we've seen in the coaching sessions and
that's what we've seen here in training camp.
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