Tiering Every Cardinals Head Coach Candidate: Who’s the Clear No. 1?

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals' coaching search is well underway, with 13 various prospects potentially landing the spot Jonathan Gannon occupied for the last three seasons.

While we recently vetted each for pros and cons (which you can check out here), we've yet to tier each candidate.

Let's do just that.

Breaking every Cardinals coaching candidate into tiers:

Tier 1: Absolute Home-Run Hire

Robert Saleh

Saleh is essentially in a class of his own.

That's no knock on any of the other candidates, and that might rub some the wrong way considering how his previous head coaching stint went in New York, but it's tough to deny what Saleh brings to the table.

Saleh's leadership, experience and overall ability to coach defense at multiple stops has made him a top candidate this cycle — and this season's job done with an injury-plagued 49ers squad has been admirable.

Saleh would likely bring somebody over from the Shanahan coaching tree to run Arizona's offense, too. That makes this hire all the more enticing.

The Cardinals need somebody who can elevate the talent currently on their roster while maintaining the sense of culture initially instilled by Jonathan Gannon.

Saleh fits that bill.

Tier 2: The Exciting Young Play-Callers

Los Angeles Rams coordinator Mike LaFleu — 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

Mike LaFleur, Klint Kubiak

It's no secret the NFL has been trending towards young and innovative offensive minds, which lands guys such LaFleur and Kubiak in this second tier.

After failing with the defensive-minded Gannon, the Cardinals may be enticed to go the opposite direction. Some would argue that's a good thing.

LaFleur is one of the hottest names in the league thanks to his work under Shanahan and Sean McVay while Kubiak has done a strong job with the Seahawks' offense this season.

Kubiak does have an advantage over LaFleur in terms of play-calling experience, though the LaFleur could be the gem of this coaching cycle if he hits his potential.

Either way, the Cardinals need somebody to deploy the obvious talent in Arizona's offense.

Tier 3: The Defensive (And Inexperienced) Leaders

Matt Burke, Houston Texan — Jan 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke in a 2024 AFC wild card game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Chris Shula, Matt Burke, Jeff Hafley, Jesse Minter

The Cardinals swung and missed on Gannon, but that doesn't mean they should strictly avoid somebody of his prior mold this time around.

All of Burke, Shula, Hafley and Minter have done commendable jobs with their respective defensive units, though none have established prior head coaching experience.

Burke's led what many believe to be the league's best defense while Shula and Hafley are among the hottest names to watch in either this cycle or next. Minter was requested to be interviewed by all nine original openings, too.

Each guy would bring something different to the table personality-wise, but landing the job could largely depend on what their offensive staff would look like.

Tier 4: The Best of the Rest

Atlanta Falcons HC Raheem Morri — Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on the sideline against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Raheem Morris, Thomas Brown, Vance Joseph, Matt Nagy, Anthony Weaver, Arthur Smith

The Cardinals move into this final tier with a big knock on all of these names.

Morris is probably the more prominent name here, as he was fired in Atlanta after consecutive 8-9 seasons while Joseph has been reported to be heavily in the mix to come back to the desert for a second stint.

Nagy and Smith provide a mixed combination of offensive play-calling and head coach experience, though neither impressed enough offensively in past stops to generate excitement.

Weaver would have been in the above tier but I didn't feel comfortable placing his resume above most others here despite the respect he's gotten around the league.

Brown seems like a solid candidate down the road, he just needs to settle into a place that will allow him to become a play-caller and grow before a head coaching opportunity awaits.

There's something to like about everybody here, but this tier also features some of the biggest hesitation among Arizona's coaching candidates.