Report: Cardinals Hire Jonathan Gannon as Next Head Coach
The search is finally over.
The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly hiring Philadelphia Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon as their next head coach.
He and Cincinnati Bengals DC Lou Anarumo were considered the top two finalists for the job.
Gannon interviewed with the Cardinals on Monday after losing Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium, so he didn't have to travel far to meet with owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort.
Gannon will be taking over for Kliff Kingsbury, who was fired after four seasons at the helm. Though he was able to lead Arizona to a playoff appearance during the 2021 season, the Cardinals were mostly disappointed by his overall body of work.
There's hope that Gannon - who has seen success at the NFL level as opposed to Kingsbury - can help turn the Cardinals around both on and off the field.
Gannon (40-years-old) first got his start in the league as a quality control coach with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. He then occupied a similar role with the Tennessee Titans before taking a job with the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 as their assistant defensive backs coach.
In 2018, he moved to the Indianapolis Colts to accept a promotion as their primary defensive backs coach before heading to Philadelphia as their defensive coordinator in 2021.
Gannon was one of three names picked by Ossenfort last summer - before he even landed a GM job - to potentially interview for a head coach opening per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.
Bidwill was adamant that the Cardinals hire a GM before their next head coach, and by time Ossenfort was officially introduced, Arizona's window of time to interview Gannon had already passed due to their success in the playoffs.
The Cardinals scheduled second interviews with Anarumo and Brian Flores before he took the open DC job with the Minnesota Vikings. Arizona also targeted other names such as Sean Payton, DeMeco Ryans, Dan Quinn and Frank Reich before they went elsewhere.
Arizona mostly interviewed defensive-minded coaches they believed could change the culture in the facility. They believe Gannon best fits that bill.
With just two weeks until the NFL Combine, free agency soon after and the No. 3 pick at his disposal, Gannon and his future staff will certainly have their work cut out for them.
The Cardinals - though it took longer than anticipated - finally got their guy.
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