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From the Sportingnews.com site:
Whisenhunt is a good fit for Arizona
January 15, 2007
Cardinals fans should be excited about the hiring of Ken Whisenhunt.
He has impressed me when I've spoken to him as a bright offensive mind who communicates clearly, and I've thought for a while he would make a fine head coach. He comes from a proven system in Pittsburgh and has worked with some good men like Bill Cowher, Ted Marchibroda and Rod Dowhower.
Whisenhunt is a good fit for the Cardinals because of the presence of Matt Leinart. Whisenhunt, probably more than anyone, was responsible for the development of Ben Roethlisberger. He's a proven play caller who is committed to the run (Edgerrin James should like him), but is unafraid to take risks.
The fact that Whisenhunt has experience on special teams makes him an even more attractive candidate. Coaches who oversee special teams get a broader perspective on how a team fits together than those who never stray from offense or defense. Among those who had special teams experience before becoming head coaches were Bill Belichick, Marv Levy and Dick Vermeil.
Now, I'm not saying Whisenhunt is destined to be the next Belichick. He has a lot to prove before we can compare him with the best coach of an era, or maybe the best coach of any era. But I do like his background.
One thing that sets off an alarm: the Steelers could have hired him and chose not to. They knew Whisenhunt better than anyone, and weren't impressed with him enough to make him the successor to Cowher.
But that doesn't make the Steelers right. Perhaps Whisenhunt is just a better fit in Arizona than he could have been in Pittsburgh.
Whisenhunt is a good fit for Arizona
January 15, 2007
Cardinals fans should be excited about the hiring of Ken Whisenhunt.
He has impressed me when I've spoken to him as a bright offensive mind who communicates clearly, and I've thought for a while he would make a fine head coach. He comes from a proven system in Pittsburgh and has worked with some good men like Bill Cowher, Ted Marchibroda and Rod Dowhower.
Whisenhunt is a good fit for the Cardinals because of the presence of Matt Leinart. Whisenhunt, probably more than anyone, was responsible for the development of Ben Roethlisberger. He's a proven play caller who is committed to the run (Edgerrin James should like him), but is unafraid to take risks.
The fact that Whisenhunt has experience on special teams makes him an even more attractive candidate. Coaches who oversee special teams get a broader perspective on how a team fits together than those who never stray from offense or defense. Among those who had special teams experience before becoming head coaches were Bill Belichick, Marv Levy and Dick Vermeil.
Now, I'm not saying Whisenhunt is destined to be the next Belichick. He has a lot to prove before we can compare him with the best coach of an era, or maybe the best coach of any era. But I do like his background.
One thing that sets off an alarm: the Steelers could have hired him and chose not to. They knew Whisenhunt better than anyone, and weren't impressed with him enough to make him the successor to Cowher.
But that doesn't make the Steelers right. Perhaps Whisenhunt is just a better fit in Arizona than he could have been in Pittsburgh.