Cardinals Hiring Mike LaFleur as Head Coach

The Arizona Cardinals have found their next head coach.

Aug 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur reacts against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly found their next head coach. According to multiple NFL insiders, the Cardinals are hiring Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as the 44th head coach in franchise history. He replaces Jonathan Gannon, who was fired after three years at the helm.

The #AZCardinals plan to hire #Rams OC Mike LaFleur as their new head coach, per me and @TomPelissero.

A bright young offensive mind whose brother is also the coach of the #Packers, Lafleur stood out early in the process. After due diligence, AZ makes the move. pic.twitter.com/HF9z79zJmE

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 1, 2026

The Cardinals, one of the last of ten teams to hire a head coach in the 2026 offseason, are now betting on the potential and upside LaFleur brings to the table as one of the hottest names in the cycle thanks to his experience calling plays and working extensively under coveted NFL names such as Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.

LaFleur, younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, beat out reported finalists in former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. The 38-year-old now becomes Arizona's third coach in five seasons with Gannon and Kliff Kingsbury in the rearview.

The Cardinals were clear in their efforts to get LaFleur, practically making it their worst-kept secret in some time after he was set scheduled to interview with Arizona in person across multiple days this week.

Mike LaFleur's Resume for Cardinals HC Job

Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

LaFleur first began his NFL coaching career as an intern on the 2014 Cleveland Browns staff, a jam-packed coaching list that includes names such as Kyle Shanahan, Mike McDaniel, Anthony Weaver, Aaron Glenn and Jeff Hafley.

The following year, he followed Shanahan to the Atlanta Falcons as an assistant for two seasons before again tagging along with Shanahan to the San Francisco 49ers, emerging with titles such as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.

In 2021, Robert Saleh (who had just accepted a job as the New York Jets' head coach) hired LaFleur to become his offensive coordinator. LaFleur called plays in New York for two seasons before the two sides parted ways after an underwhelming stint.

LaFleur joined the Rams' staff in 2023 as their offensive coordinator and had remained with the organization through this past season. Though he didn't call plays in Los Angeles, he was still a pivotal part of McVay's overall game-planning for an offense that has routinely been heralded among the best in the league in recent seasons.

Now, he's tasked with improving a Cardinals team that went 0-6 within the NFC West last year. Offensively, Arizona didn't score over 30 points in a single game this season.

With weapons such as Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. in the passing game, there's hope LaFleur will be able to maximize their respective potentials. His familiarity with defenses within the NFC West and overall experience/knowledge of Shanahan and McVay make the hire all the more interesting, too.

Owner Michael Bidwill was adamant the Cardinals could quickly turn things around entering 2026.

"We want to win. This was a decision that was based solely off winning. When I look at what other teams have done, and frankly, historically, we've done a quick turnaround in our not too distant past, I am looking forward to that. I hope it's going to be in the first year, not in the second year," Bidwill told reporters after firing Gannon.

"But we're confident that our search is going to be thorough, it's going to be broad, and we're going to select the right coach."

That extensive search, which spanned over 15 candidates of various backgrounds, strengths and expertise, landed LaFleur at their doorstep.

What Now?

Aug 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams assistant coach Mike LaFleur looks on during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Cardinals will begin filling out their staff around LaFleur. With notable coaches already parting from the previous regime, LaFleur's staff is set to be an injection of new life in the walls of their facility in Tempe.

Part of the knock on LaFleur's resume was his youth and possible lack of strong veteran connections within the league to build out his staff, as this is his first time acting as an NFL head coach. While LaFleur will surely have some connections on his side of the ball, defensive names such as Morris and Rams assistant HC/passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant could be ones to monitor over the coming days.

After assembling his staff, LaFleur and the Cardinals' next task will be deciding the future of franchise quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray, after completing his seventh season with Arizona, is due a $19.5 million future roster bonus in March, so a decision on his future should be formed sooner as opposed to later.

LaFleur and his staff will have roughly a month to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where the Cardinals will get an extensive look into potential prospects to take in the coming 2026 NFL Draft, where they own the third overall pick.

There's still several dominoes to fall, though their biggest move of the offseason has now been completed.