Cardinals still considering Anarumo and Kafka
The Cardinals’ head coaching search has been long and drawn out but it could be coming to an end soon. After interviewing a slew of qualified candidates, they are zeroing in on two candidates who weren’t initially on the radar. The top-tier candidates the team interviewed ultimately got jobs elsewhere, leaving the Cardinals to cast a wider net. They informed DC Vance Joseph he was out of the running and Brian Flores chose to go to Minnesota as their defensive coordinator. That leaves the Cardinals looking at defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo from the Bengals and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka from the Giants.
Now that they have emerged as the favorites, here are the pros and cons of each coach.
Lou Anarumo
Pros: Anarumo gets the upper hand over Kafka due to experience. The 56-year-old coach has both college and NFL coaching in his resume. Being a defensive-minded guy, he might be able to maximize the talent on the Cardinals defense more than Vance Joseph could. The Bengals’ defense did not have a ton of household names but still managed to do great things in the past two seasons. Anarumo has been known to make adjustments when needed. In the playoffs, they shut down a high-powered Bills offense and narrowly lost to the Chiefs. He is well-respected by his players and peers. Anarumo could also have some pull in attracting some of the Bengals free agents to Arizona should he get the job.
Cons: This would be Anarumo’s first rodeo as a head coach. Anarumo was with the Bengals for four years but only two of those years did he have a top defense. The turnaround process could take longer than fans would have patience for. Being a defensive-minded coach, it might not be a good fit for Kyler Murray who struggled last year. Defensive head coaches have a harder time working out in the NFL and are hired less often. If Anarumo were to find a good offensive coordinator, they would end up getting poached for a head coaching job.
Mike Kafka
Pros: Kafka has been getting a lot of glowing reviews, most notably from Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Kafka is an offensive mind that worked with one of the most explosive QB’s and offenses in the league. A lot of credit can be given to Kafka for the turn around of Daniel Jones, who many thought to be a bust. Kafka not only fixed Jones’ turnover issues but made the most with little talent on the receiving side. It didn’t take long for Kafka to turn the Giants offense around. If Kafka is hired it would bring fans hope if they saw instant results. Hiring an offensive genius and QB coach such as Kafka would be tremendous for Kyler Murray.
Cons: Like Anarumo, Kafka would be a first-time head coach, but at a younger age and with far less experience. The Cardinals just spent the last four years with a young hotshot coach, do they really want to do it again? With his lack of experience, Kafka might not have a lot of contacts to pull together a good staff. Since the Cardinals have dragged out their search, a lot of defensive coordinator candidates are unavailable. The Cardinals may be stuck with their current defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. It’s not a dig at Vance, but the Cardinals need a full reset from the old regime.
Fans will have to wait until after the Super Bowl to hear any news on a new coach. Both of the last remaining candidates have strong cases going for them. Regardless of the hire, I encourage fans to keep an open mind. It’s going to be a tall task to turn this team around and it may not happen overnight.
