Cardinals coaching search: Bruce Arians lands job

None of the new head coaches hired were minorities, something Horton, who is African-American, was asked about at his press conference. He was more concerned with his own prospects:

Horton has a long tenure as an NFL defensive assistant, having coached in the league since 1994. He was defensive coordinator in Arizona for two seasons, and in 2012, the Cardinals ranked 12th in the league by allowing 337.8 yards per game.

Speaking at his introductory press conference, Arians told reporters that two attributes separate quarterbacks in his mind -- “the brain, and the heart.” Arians’ quarterback quotient is dubbed the “quarterback grit,” something that enables the other 52 players on the roster to rally around the starting quarterback.

Finding the right quarterback may prove to be difficult for Arians, but Arizona’s new head coach will certainly work relentlessly to find a leader with the “quarterback grit.”

At the press conference, team president Michael Bidwell said he was looking for three things in a head coach: Leadership, accountability and performance. He apparently found all three in Arians, saying that it became very clear to him that “Bruce Arians needs to be the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.”

“When you’re a lifer you’re a lifer, and I’m a lifer,” Arians said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

“I never thought it was going to come,” Arians told Darren Urban in an interview after he accepted the Cardinals offer. After years and years as an assistant, this one might be the most special for the 60-year-old coach

The Colts rallied around Pagano while he was out, and Arians was able to harness that emotion to create a dangerous, young offense that constructed several late-game comebacks. Luck also set a rookie record for passing yards, finishing the year with a whopping 627 attempts.

According to Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports, Ray Horton is the first casualty of head coach Bruce Arians arriving in Arizona. Following the hiring of Arians as head coach earlier Thursday night, there were rumors that Horton could be a on the outs, with a familiar face filling the role of defensive coordinator.

Horton will likely have plenty of suitors after his Cardinals defense finished with 38 team sacks, tied for 11th in the league.

Arians introductory press conference will be held at 3 p.m. ET, according to the team’s website.

This will be Arians first stint as a head coach in the NFL. He served with several different franchises throughout his lengthy career, but never as the man in charge of any team.

Gruden, Arians and Horton seem to be the most likely candidates for the Cardinals job at this point.

In addition to his interview with Arizona, Bevell was a finalist in Chicago and is also expected to interview in Jacksonville. The Cardinals coaching search has been complicated by the fact the front office intends to keep defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Many head coaches prefer to pick their own coaching staff. Horton is also one of the candidates to replace Ken Whisenhunt.

With Bevell scheduled to interview on Wednesday, the Cardinals have now interviewed five candidates. Bevell joins a list of candidates which includes Horton, Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. Former Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy also interviewed in Arizona before accepting the San Diego head coaching position.

Many head coaches like to hand pick their own staff. If Horton is retained as defensive coordinator, Arizona’s next head coach would not have the luxury of picking his own defensive coordinator -- making the job less appealing to potential candidates.

Horton himself is also believed to be a candidate for Arizona’s head coaching vacancy.

The Cardinals have interviewed McCoy once and are reportedly trying to set up another interview with him. McCoy has been one of the favorites to land the position, but Arizona was in somewhat of a holding pattern with the Broncos still in the playoffs. If the Cardinals do conduct a second interview with McCoy, he would be the second candidate to be brought in for a second round.

The other candidate who has been interviewed twice is current defensive coordinator Ray Horton. While McCoy may be the favorite, due to his offensive background, Horton is also rumored to be a front-runner. According to a report, Horton hasn’t been told much about the search, but expects to hear more by Tuesday.

Jon Gruden was once again mentioned, as the Browns are interested, but that scenario doesn’t seem to have much traction. So don’t get your hopes up if you live in Cleveland.

Gruden has been the OC with the Bengals since 2011 after spending many years coaching in the Arena League. The brother of Jon Gruden also spent 2002-08 as an offensive assistant on Jon’s Tampa Bay staff.

The Cardinals fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt after a 5-11 season, the third-consecutive non-winning season for the team since winning the NFC West in 2008. The Cardinals have major issues at quarterback, where they started four-different players in 2012. They do feature a strong defense and could be a contender with any semblance of offense.

According to a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Haley’s agent Jerome Stanley said there would be no interview, but fellow Pittsburgh assistant coaches said Haley is interviewing in Arizona. Haley spent two seasons as Arizona’s offensive coordinator and is reportedly well thought of by Cardinals ownership.

Haley reportedly didn’t want to interview in Arizona unless he felt he had a legitimate shot at winning the job.

With the offensive struggles the Cardinals have had, it’s not a surprise that the team is focusing on candidates with strong backgrounds on that side of the football.

Stay with this stream for more information in the coming days and be sure to follow along with the coaching search at Revenge of the Birds.

Arizona asked and received permission to interview Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley, which could happen later this week.

According to a tweet from Mark Dalton of the Cardinals’ media relations team, Arizona is expected to speak with Gruden about the position this week. The exact date of the interview is yet to be released.

The Cardinals fired former head coach Ken Whisenhunt on Dec. 31.

Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is drawing interest from Arizona and Philadelphia for their vacant head coaching positions, according to Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports:

In 2011, Gruden was named offensive coordinator in Cincinnati. The Bengals made a surprising playoff run due in large part to Gruden’s offense, and he received interview offers from Jacksonville, St. Louis, and Indianapolis before signing an extension to stay with Cincinnati. The 2012 Bengals again made the playoffs, and Gruden is apparently again in contention for a number of head coach openings.

With McCoy calling the plays and Manning calling the signals this year, the Broncos are second in the league in scoring and fourth in total yards.

Andy Reid is close to becoming the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, a hire that could be announced by the end of the week, according to Adam Schefter.

One day after he was fired as the Eagles coach, Reid was reportedly making progress on a deal that would give him the same title with the Cardinals. Schefter also cited a source who said he was “95 percent” certain Reid would get the job.

He is expected to meet with the teams this weekend.

The Cardinals fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt earlier Monday after the team lost 11 of its last 12 games, and the Bears relieved coach Lovie Smith of his duties after Chicago similarly struggled after a 7-1 start to the season.

The Cardinals wrapped up an ugly 5-11 season on Sunday, losing 11 of their last 12 games after a promising September start. It was particularly woeful on the offensive side of the ball, where the team ranked dead last in the league in rushing yards and 28th overall in passing yards. The failure to find a suitable option at quarterback added to the misery.