The Cardinals search for their new head coach took a turn for the worse on Tuesday when news broke that Mike McCoy will be the Chargers new head man. McCoy had an interview with the Cards more than a week ago and Arizona was trying to get a second with him, but the Chargers didn't allow McCoy to leave San Diego without a contract.
Many fans are clamoring for Ray Horton to get the job, but the Cardinals are not yet done interviewing other candidates for the gig. The latest is Darrell Bevell, the offensive coordinator of the division rival Seahawks. Bevell became available for teams to interview after Seattle's loss on Sunday in Atlanta.
Bevell is a name that has come out of nowhere for the Cardinals. Arizona has already interviewed Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, but Bevell's name hasn't been attached to the Cardinals. Bevell has already had an interview with the Bears and will do the same with the Jaguars.
The 43-year-old does have ties to the Valley. He grew up in Scottsdale and attended football power Chaparral High. He then spent his redshirt freshman season at Northern Arizona University up in Flagstaff before serving on his two-year Mormon mission.
One of the reasons why Bevell has suddenly become a hot candidate is because of his work with rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. You could easily argue that Wilson was the Rookie of the Year this season and Bevell had a big part in his development over the course of the 2012 campaign and in the postseason.
Besides his two seasons in Emerald City, Bevell has also spent time in Green Bay and Minnesota. He was an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach with the Packers from 2000-2005 and the Vikings offensive coordinator from 2006-2010. During parts of both stints, Bevell worked with future hall of famer Brett Favre.
Whether Bevell gets serious consideration reminds to be seen, but two things are certain. The Cardinals front office is hesitant in hiring Horton, who has had two interviews with the club. They also seem interested in hiring a offensive first coach to address their offensive struggles over the past three seasons.
We should find out in the next week or so whether they can their minds on Horton or decide to go with an offensive guy.
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