Steelers' Whisenhunt to join Cardinals as new head coach
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Ken Whisenhunt: Bound for Arizona.The Arizona Cardinals hired Ken Whisenhunt, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, as their head coach today.
Whisenhunt, one of the top two candidates to replace Bill Cowher as head coach with the Steelers, never received an offer from Pittsburgh. That could mean Steelers will name Russ Grimm as their new coach soon.
Grimm, their assistant head coach and offensive line coach, has been considered a top candidate, along with Whisenhunt, for the Steelers job. Three other candidates from outside their staff also were interviewed: Georgia Tech Coach Chan Gailey, Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Mike Tomlin and Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera.
Whisenhunt replaces head coach Dennis Green, who was fired after going 16-32 in three seasons at Arizona.
The 44-year-old Whisenhunt signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth, and is to be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday.
"In the end, we felt that Ken was the best fit for this organization," said Rod Graves, Cardinals vice president for football operations, "and we felt that because of the leadership that he portrayed. He presented a well-organized and thorough plan moving forward. We liked it."
Whisenhunt becomes the Cardinals' eighth coach since the franchise moved to Arizona in 1988. He 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.
He also interviewed for coaching jobs in Miami and Atlanta. Whisenhunt's second interview with Arizona began Friday and stretched into yesterday.
"It became apparent to us, particularly when we got into the second phase of our interview process, that Ken began to separate himself from the other candidates," Graves said.
The new coach inherits plenty of young talent, including quarterback Matt Leinart and a pair of the top receivers in the NFL, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. However, he also joins a franchise with a legacy of losing unprecedented in this era of NFL parity.
The Cardinals have had one winning season -- and one playoff appearance -- since 1984. They have one playoff victory since winning the NFL championship in 1947.
Owner Bill Bidwill and son Michael, the Cardinals' vice president and general counsel, joined Graves in conducting the interviews. The Cardinals insist they are intent on putting a winning team in their new stadium, pointing to the free agent acquisition of running back Edgerrin James and contract extensions to Boldin, Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson and several other of their best young players.
"I think he's capable of strong and dynamic leadership for this football team," Graves said, "and that's what intrigued us."
Graves brushed aside reports the Cardinals were going to hire Sherman, but couldn't agree to terms.
"There were a lot of rumors circulating about what was taking place during our interview process," he said. "Quite frankly, a lot of those reports were misleading and false. The truth of the matter is we only offered the job one time and it was to the person we selected."
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First Published January 14, 2007 12:00 am
