Cards hire Whisenhunt - Now It's Official

[Red Dawn]

It appears Wisenhunt might know what to do with Pope, too.

 

[Pariah]

He also might insist Davis is Franchised or re-signed.

 

[Lefty]

I accidentally posted this on the wrong thread. Not my first choice but we welcome aboard coach Whisenhunt. We all need to support this hire 100%. Here is his bio:


Coaching Highlights:

Ken Whisenhunt enters his third season as the Steelers' offensive coordinator and has earned high praise for installing a balanced offensive attack while adding a slice of trickery into the weekly game plan.

Promoted to his new position on Jan. 20, 2004, after serving the previous three years as the team's tight ends coach, Whisenhunt begins his 10th season as an NFL coach.

Last year, the Steelers averaged 26.8 points per game in the playoffs, posting 34 points in the AFC Championship Game at Denver, who finished the regular season among the best in scoring defense (16.1 avg.). Additionally, Pittsburgh averaged nearly 140 yards rushing per game during the regular season to rank fifth in the NFL.

The Steelers showed significant improvement in 2004 under Whisenhunt while re-establishing their proud running attack. Overall, the Steelers' offense improved from 22nd in the NFL to 16th in 2004, and the rushing attack finished second in the NFL compared to 31st from the previous season.

Whisenhunt, 44, joined the Steelers coaching staff as tight ends coach in January, 2001, when Mike Mularkey was promoted to offensive coordinator. He spent the 2000 season as tight ends coach for the New York Jets and was closely involved in offensive game-planning.

Prior to the Jets, he spent the 1999 season coaching special teams for the Cleveland Browns. Whisenhunt's first NFL coaching job was with the Baltimore Ravens in 1997, when he coached tight ends for two seasons.

Whisenhunt began his coaching career at Vanderbilt University, where he coached special teams, tight ends and H-Backs for the Commodores from 1995-96. In 1996, he oversaw Bill Marinangel, who led all NCAA Division I punters with an average of 46.6 yards-per-punt and finished third in the nation with a 42.7 net punting average.

A graduate of Georgia Tech, Whisenhunt played nine seasons as a tight end/H-Back for the Atlanta Falcons (1985-88), Washington Redskins (1989-90) and New York Jets (1991-93). He caught 62 passes for 601 yards and six touchdowns and earned a reputation as a well-rounded tight end and special teams player.

Whisenhunt finished his Georgia Tech career ranked second on the Yellow Jackets' all-time receiving yardage list (1,264 yards) and fourth in career receptions (82). He was a consensus All-Atlantic Coast Conference and honorable mention All-America selection as a senior in 1984 when he averaged 19.1 yards-per-catch.

Born Feb. 28, 1962, in Atlanta, Ga., Whisenhunt and his wife, Alice, live in Pittsburgh with their son, Kenneth Jr. (15), and daughter Mary Ashley (13).


Whisenhunt's Coaching Timeline:

Year Team Position

1995-1996 Vanderbilt University Special Teams, Tight Ends & H-backs

1997-1998 Baltimore Ravens Tight Ends

1999 Cleveland Browns Special Teams

2000 New York Jets Tight Ends

2001-2003 Pittsburgh Steelers Tight Ends

2004-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

Not picking on swd, but that always cracks me up about gamblers. You always hear about the winning, but never the losing.

I lived in Reno during my college years, had a roomate who was a sports book junkie, always bragging about his big wins, quick to show everyone(except me) his winning tickets, He didn't show me because he was late paying his portion of the rent EVERY month.

I remember I had to use his truck once to haul a few things, I got pulled over for speeding, as I pop the glove box, hundreds of loser sport-book tickets spring out all over the floor.

He eventually lost his job for floating his company's deposits.

 

[Chainthroer]

What a relief! My first choice too. I was almost certain he'd be hired by the Steelers. A great day for Cards fans.

 

[Sandan]

I think the key word is "cheap" lol

Here we go.

Cardinals are cheap, give it a rest please.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

I really like the fact that he comes from a program the relies on strong drafting and developing their own players. Pittsburgh had never really been a place that relied heavily on free agents to change their fortunes.

 

[Red Hawk]

Everyone together now.


"AT LEAST IT'S NOT SHERMAN"

 

[BigRedArk]

I don't know much about him but I hope he can turn us around once and for all!!! I sincerely hope he is the man for the job. I also hope he doesn't forget how to coach once he gets here too.

 

[ajcardfan]

Everyone together now.


"AT LEAST IT'S NOT SHERMAN" Or Chow! Or Pendergast!

Fixed.

 

[Goodyear Card]

maybe he can get something out of Ross since he knows him from his Pitt days.

hopefully Ross is gone. He let Ross leave Pittsburgh so maybe he will let him leave the Cardinals.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I'm actually very much on board with this. Like many of the rest of us I was hoping for Chow in that he is very strong X's and O's and would give us a discernable advantage against other teams gameplans. However I was reading Simmons "Coaching corrolary" article on ESPN and I have to admit he made some great points. Being and NFL coach is a VERY demanding job and i feel alot better about a 44 year old looking to prove himself running the show then a 61 year old. Its on the front page of ESPN.com right now so I implore many of you to check it out and see what you think. Here are some excerpts:

Maybe coaching isn't a young man's game, but it's definitely a younger man's game. Read any story about a successful younger coach (Mangini, Payton, even guys like Gruden, Belichick and Vermeil back in the day) and the same themes keep cropping up: These guys live for their jobs. They don't see their families. They work 80-hour weeks. They sleep on their office sofa. They get up at 3:30 in the morning looking for an edge. They watch so much tape their eyes glaze over. They aren't mellowed by trophies and awards or grandkids or swollen bank accounts. They're still hungry. They have something to prove. And given the demands of the job, wouldn't you need a never-ending wealth of energy to coach in the National Football League? You need to think fast, crack the whip, scream and yell, figure out enigmatic players in their 20s, keep burning that midnight oil, and evolve with the ongoing changes in the game ... the older you get, the harder it gets. You become stuck in your ways and more resistant to change. That's a terrible trait for an NFL head coach.
Two other factors come into play. First, who's going to work harder to prepare his team on a weekly basis -- a younger guy gunning for respect and a megacontract, or an older guy who already made $25-30 million in his career? And second, older coaches aren't nearly as intimidating as younger coaches because they always seem to have one foot out the door. They could leave because of TV opportunities (like Jimmy Johnson); because they're too old-school to deal with the newer generation of players (Coughlin); because they might not have the same fire anymore (Parcells and Gibbs); or because they're just plain old (Vermeil and Levy). But it's always something. Were the Giants and Cowboys naturally predisposed to being sloppy teams ... or were they poorly managed, poorly motivated, poorly prepared and going about their collective business without any real fear for their futures? You tell me.

All I know is this: I'd rather hire a younger coach who was mentored by the right people and hope he grows into the job over an older coach who already peaked. For instance, look at Mangini's successful season with the Jets. He never played football past the Division III level in college, never worked as a head coach in his life ... hell, just 12 years ago, he was doing grunt work in the PR department for the Cleveland Browns. Then he spent the next decade getting his Ph.D. from Belichick Academy, and the rest was history. Bill Parcells probably has forgotten more football than Mangini has ever known, but maybe that's the problem -- Mangini is still learning about football, amassing knowledge, busting his butt and moving in a specific direction, whereas Parcells is simply running on the fumes of what he already knows.

I like taking top assistants from the defeding Super Bowl champs and i hope has the chops to make this work.

I'm excited.

And i can guaran - damn -tee you we will see a couple Boldin option passes next year....

 

[Renz]

hopefully Ross is gone. He let Ross leave Pittsburgh so maybe he will let him leave the Cardinals.

I think that was ownership more than the OC that let Ross walk. Ross was productive in PITT so maybe he can be again.

 

[joeshmo]

Personally, I like most of our assistants who are still under contract like Frank Bush, Mike Wilson, Steve Loney and Larry Brooks. I'm not a huge Pendergast fan, but he might do better under another coach.

At least Solomon, Hargrave and Zauner are gone.

Why Franck Bush?

Dansby for all his talent should have made the pro bowl by now. Lance Mitchell is out of the league and Blackstock isnt to far behind, and I know Brandon Johnson is only a 5th round rookie but does anyone see anything coming out of him, and none of these guys could beat out Huff. And what is up with his assistant head coach title? Will he keep that title? I dont have all that much confidence in him coaching up young guys.

Will our OC stay the OC and if he does will we bring in a QB coach to take away that part of his title.

So we are looking for -

DB Coach
RB Coach
TE Coach
ST Coach
OFF Quality Control
Maybe a QB Coach
I thought our strength and conditioning coaches were fired to but they are still shown on the main site?

 

[Goodyear Card]

I think this also shows that Sherman was probably the 1st choice and they couldn't agree to a contract.

I was thinking the same thing. A little disappointing we could not sign our first choice but Sherman was asking for a lot of money.

 

[ajcardfan]

The contract has the same structure of Green's according to AP:

The Arizona Cardinals hired Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt as coach after a 5-11 season that culminated with Dennis Green's firing.

The 44-year-old Whisenhunt signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth, the Cardinals announced Sunday.

Green was fired after three seasons and a 16-32 record. Whisenhunt becomes the Cardinals' eighth coach since the franchise moved to Arizona in 1988.

Whisenhunt was one of eight candidates interviewed for the job, but one of only two who got a second interview. The other was former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman.

The Steelers assistant also interviewed for coaching jobs in Pittsburgh, Miami and Atlanta. He and fellow Pittsburgh assistant Russ Grimm had been considered leading candidates to replace Bill Cowher with the Steelers.

 

[Gambit]

Welcome to the fold, Wiz. I am now fully behind you. May you lead the team to where it and its fans deserve.

 

[Goodyear Card]

You have to give the B's a little credit on this one, though...With Mac, they bypassed a lot of veteran coaches and stayed really cheap by promoting him. With Green they went for the Big Name and Big Ego coach, instead of someone new and up and coming...At least with Whisenhunt they are getting someone up and coming and probably cheap, so it's the best of both worlds for them.

I don't think the contract is very cheap. There are a lot openings in the NFL and I don't Wisenhunt would sign a low contract.

 

[Renz]

Now up on the official site:

Cardinals Name Ken Whisenhunt As Head Coach

Tempe, AZ – The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced the hiring of KEN WHISENHUNT as the team’s head coach. He has signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth. Whisenhunt will be introduced in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon at the team’s training facility (time TBA).

The 44-year-old Whisenhunt has spent the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers and helped the team win Super Bowl XL a year ago. In all, he has spent 10 years as NFL assistant coach and also played nine seasons in the league as a tight end.

“As the interview process went on, Ken continued to impress us and distinguish himself,” said Cardinals Vice President of Football Operation Rod Graves. “It’s clear to us that he has the all the attributes we were seeking in terms of coaching ability, enthusiasm, organizational and leadership skills and the overall ability to lead this team to success immediately and for years to come.”

Whisenhunt (pronounced “WIZZ-en-hunt”) served as an assistant on Bill Cowher’s staff with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last six years, the first three as tight ends coach and the last three as offensive coordinator.

In his first year as coordinator, the Steelers rushing attack improved from 31st to 2nd and the overall offense ranked 16th behind rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger. His second year ended with an NFL title after the Steelers offense averaged 26.8 points per game in the playoffs. This past season, Pittsburgh’s offense ranked 7th overall (9th passing and 10th rushing).

Whisenhunt took over as Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator in 2004, the same year the team drafted Roethlisberger. The rookie QB set an NFL record with wins in his first 13 career starts en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The next season he became the youngest QB in NFL history to win a Super Bowl and finished third in the league in passer rating (98.6).

He previously coached at the pro level with the New York Jets (tight ends, 2000), Cleveland Browns (special teams, 1999) and Baltimore Ravens (tight ends, 1997-98). He began his coaching career in the collegiate ranks with Vanderbilt for two seasons (1995-96)

A native of Atlanta, GA, and a graduate of Georgia Tech, Whisenhunt played nine NFL seasons with the Falcons (1985-88), Redskins (1989-90), and Jets (1991-93). He finished his college playing career ranked second on Georgia Tech’s receiving yardage list (1,264 yards) and fourth in career receptions (82).

http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=1487

 

[RON_IN_OC]

I don't think the contract is very cheap. There are a lot openings in the NFL and I don't Wisenhunt would sign a low contract.

By cheap, I should clarify and say not the 4 million BS that Sherman was wanting. I think his contract will actually be less than Green's 2.5 million.

 

[Mulli]

Now up on the official site:

Cardinals Name Ken Whisenhunt As Head Coach


In his first year as coordinator, the Steelers rushing attack improved from 31st to 2nd and the overall offense ranked 16th behind rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger. His second year ended with an NFL title after the Steelers offense averaged 26.8 points per game in the playoffs. This past season, Pittsburgh’s offense ranked 7th overall (9th passing and 10th rushing).

Whisenhunt took over as Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator in 2004, the same year the team drafted Roethlisberger. The rookie QB set an NFL record with wins in his first 13 career starts en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The next season he became the youngest QB in NFL history to win a Super Bowl and finished third in the league in passer rating (98.6).

Kewl.

 

[Renz]

By cheap, I should clarify and say not the 4 million BS that Sherman was wanting.

That rumor was not confirmed. The Cards denied that Sherman asked for that much.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

He called Big Ben's plays within his abilities and look at what happened. Leinart is a MUCH better QB prospect than Big Ben, so imagine what plays Wiz can call within Leinart's abilites!!!

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Everyone together now.


"AT LEAST IT'S NOT SHERMAN"

<---- breathes a deep sigh of relief.

 

[asuhoopsnut]

I think it will prove to be a great hire! He was my 1st choice as well. The more
I read about Cameron's potential as a HC the more nervous I was because I had a feeling they were going to wait until the Chargers were out of the playoffs! I am very pumped up about this hire and think the Steelers might regret not pulling the trigger on him right away!