The Cardinals have found their new head coach, as they will hire former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to fill the top position, the team announced Monday afternoon. Wilks gets his first head coaching job after several years with the Panthers, most recently serving as their defensive coordinator.
Meet Steve Wilks, new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals
Wilks lands his first head coaching gig after one year as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Wilks apparently impressed, among some nice scenery as well:
Who is Steve Wilks?
Wilks has an extensive coaching background going back over 20 years, mostly in assistant or coordinator positions. Before taking the Cardinals job, his only other head coaching experience was at Savannah State in 1999.
However, Wilks has a strong history as a defensive coach — specifically the secondary. He was defensive backs coach for the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, and Panthers. In 2017, Wilks took Sean McDermott’s job as Carolina’s defensive coordinator, while also being assistant head coach to Ron Rivera.
The Panthers’ defense was once again strong, not missing a beat while going from McDermott to Wilks as coordinator. They ranked seventh in yards allowed, 11th in points allowed, and seventh in DVOA. The secondary took a step back ever since Josh Norman left in free agency, but was overall better than average.
Why did the Cardinals hire him?
The Cardinals had the NFL’s sixth-best defense in the 2017 season in terms of total defense. With Wilks, there’s an opportunity to refine, and even improve that defense into one of the NFL’s elite.
The Panthers had the NFL’s seventh-best defense in 2017. We know he can coach up a good defense. But he was also the defensive backs coach in Carolina during Norman’s meteoric rise in 2015. He can get the best out of players, and with players like Patrick Peterson and the NFL’s sack leader this past season in Chandler Jones, he should have a fun time coaching them up.
Despite Wilks’ expertise as a coach, his way with people was likely a big reason the Cardinals bought in too.
“He has a big presence about him, even the way he speaks, and everyone gravitates toward him,” veteran Panthers safety Mike Adams recently told ESPN.
Patrick Peterson certainly seemed happy with the hire:
The only question with Wilks is who he will hire to run his offense. But his defensive credentials are there, and it seems clear that his players have always liked him. Having worked with Dave Gettleman before, perhaps the Cardinals are in the early stages of a turnaround.
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