Anmeldung » The Arizona Cardinals have fired Steve Wilks a

TEMPE Stitched Chandler Jones Jersey , Ariz. —fter just one season as head coach.Wilks' firing Monday followed a 3-13 season, the franchise's worst record in 18 years and the worst in the NFL this season.He is the first Cardinals coach to be fired after one season since Joe Kuharich in 1952.At a news conference, team President Michael Bidwill called Wilks "one of the hardest-working coaches I've ever been around" and a man respected throughout the organization.But Bidwill cited the number of losses and the lack of competitiveness in many of those games as a reason for the firing, saying the team went backward on offense and defense."It's a results-oriented business," Bidwill said, "and if you don't win everybody knows what happens."Wilks, 49, was hired after Bruce Arians retired following five seasons in Arizona. It was a dramatic shift in styles and a mistake, Bidwill acknowledged."When I look back at last year obviously I didn't get it right," Bidwill said. "I take responsibility for it and we're going to make sure we get it right this time around."He said he couldn't get behind a plan Wilks presented for the 2019 season.Bidwill contended the now-vacant Cardinals job would be the most attractive of the eight NFL openings, noting the team's core of talented players, a young franchise quarterback, the top overall draft pick and subsequent picks and plenty of salary cap space.Bidwill said requests for interviews would go out to teams shortly and informal contact already had been made with two coaches who are out of football.Arians was known for his flamboyant personality and dynamic offense. The low-keyed Wilks came to the job with an entire coaching resume on defense.He was defensive backs coach at Carolina for five seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator by Panthers coach Ron Rivera for the 2017 season.Wilks wanted to build a team centered on toughness up front and a power running game. But things fell apart quickly. The offensive line struggled even before it was decimated by injuries and the defense was susceptible to big plays, especially on the ground.Rookie Josh Rosen took over at quarterback four games into the season, replacing the ineffective Sam Bradford.The offense struggled and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy was fired seven games into the season Baby Chandler Jones Jersey , replaced by quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich.Injuries continued to accumulate. Eventually, 17 players ended up on injured reserve. On the offensive line, only rookie center Mason Cole made it through the season.Arizona lost nine games by double digits, five by 20 points or more. The Cardinals were 1-7 at home, their worst record there since moving to Arizona. The miserable record guaranteed the Cardinals their first No. 1 overall draft pick in 60 years.Bidwill said he had concerns about the coaching situation early on."It was a cumulative effect as it went on, but I wanted to make sure I gave him the whole season, every opportunity, to turn it around because I thought it was most fair to him," he said. "But you saw from the very beginning, even when we had a healthy squad, the first two games we were outscored 58-6 so I had some concerns from the very beginning."Bidwill said he understood the frustration of fans as the season got worse."I'm a fan first," he said. "It's been frustrating for me to watch these games and I don't know that anybody has been hurting more than me. I've been extremely frustrated, had a lot of sleepless nights, looked in the mirror about what things I can be doing differently to make this organization better and that's what we're going to be doing going forward, is make sure we get it right."The team's offense finished last in the league Best Chandler Jones Jersey , where it had been all season.General manager Steve Keim acknowledged he bears some responsibility for this awful season but added "at the end of the day I have the utmost confidence in myself that I'm going to be able to get this thing turned around and head us in the right direction."Bidwill voiced his support for Keim, noting the general manager was "the chief architect of the winningest five years in this franchise's history."After Arizona's last-second 27-24 loss at Seattle on Sunday, players seemed unanimous in their desire for Wilks to be given a second season."I've let it be known, I love the man," star receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "I think he's an unbelievable coach. It's been a tough year, and we all understand this is a results business, but it's hard for me to separate the business from the personal. I've got a heart, and I'm human. I really like coach."With Wilks' status confirmed, there is still one major uncertainty: Will Fitzgerald be back for a 16th season? PHOENIX (AP)Former San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy has been hired as offensive coordinator at Arizona and Al Holcomb is following new Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks from Carolina to be defensive coordinator. The Cardinals also hired Jeff Rodgers as special teams coordinator. The three hires were announced Friday, just four days after Wilks was hired to replace Bruce Arians, who retired after a franchise-record 50 victories in his five seasons in the desert. McCoy was offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos for five seasons (2009-12 and again in 2017). He was head coach of the Chargers from 2013 to 2016. Holcomb was linebackers coach of the Panthers for the past five seasons. Wilks spent five seasons as secondary coach in Carolina before being named defensive coordinator there last year. Rodgers was special teams coordinator of the Chicago Bears the past three seasons. McCoy, 45, was a hot commodity in 2013 and the Cardinals were interested in him as a head coaching candidate at the time before he chose the Chargers and the Cardinals went with Arians. McCoy’s first two San Diego teams went 9-7 but they dipped to 4-12 in 2015. He was fired after San Diego went 5-11 in 2016. He takes over an offense that has no quarterback. General manager Steve Keim has said he will be aggressive either by free agency, trade or the draft – or any combination of the three – to find a quarterback. McCoy has experience in several offensive schemes and Wilks, whose coaching background is entirely on the defensive side of the ball Adult Chandler Jones Jersey , has made it clear he wants a strong running game. ”Someone mentioned a pass-happy league, which I agree it is,” Wilks said at his news conference Tuesday. ”But, I still believe this: You have to have a foundation of running the football. As a defensive coordinator, there’s nothing more demoralizing to a team than being able to run the ball. I mean, you’re talking about taking the air out of an individual. So, that’s going to be our premise. When you look at some of the premier running backs in the National Football League, we have one right here in (David) Johnson.” Johnson, who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and touchdowns in 2016, broke a wrist in the 2017 opener and missed the remainder of last season. In 2011, with McCoy as offensive coordinator, the Broncos led the NFL with a franchise-record 2,362 yards rushing. McCoy was an assistant at Carolina for nine seasons before going to Denver. He was a quarterback at Long Beach State and Utah. He was on the practice squad at Green Bay and San Francisco and played in NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League before beginning his coaching career. Holcomb, 47, helped develop one of the NFL’s best linebacking duos in Carolina with Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis. He inherits what has been a strong defense anchored by All-Pro outside linebacker Chandler Jones Limited Christian Kirk Jersey , who led the league in sacks, and perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. James Bettcher, who served as defensive coordinator for four seasons under Arians after Todd Bowles left for the New York Jets, was hired Friday as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants under new head coach Pat Shurmur. With Holcomb overseeing the linebacker corps, the Panthers finished third in the NFL in sacks, seventh in overall defense and third in run defense. The Panthers were the only team in the NFL not to allow a player to rush for 100 yards. Under Bettcher last season, Arizona was sixth in overall defense. Rodgers, 40, has 17 years of coaching experience, 14 with special teams in the NFL. Special teams have often been a problem for the Cardinals in the Arians years. —