Well, it wasn’t like it wasn’t expected. The Cardinals set a franchise record for the most losses in a season with 14 by getting thumped by the Los Angeles Rams 37-20 in a game that the Rams had nothing
to gain by winning.
Today, on “Black Monday,” Gannon was fired. He finished his tenure in Tempe with a 15-36-0 record in just three seasons.
RELATED: CARDINALS FIRE JONATHAN GANNON
Gannon is respected in NFL circles, and it should not take him long to find a coordinator job with another club. Or, he just might slide into another head coaching position.
Numerous media outlets have projected that between four and six head coaches will lose their positions today on “Black Monday.”
Before the end of this season, the New York Football Giants and Tennessee Titans fired their head man, and the Atlanta Falcons did not wait until Black Monday to ax head coach Raheem Morris hours after they won their final game 19-17 over the New Orleans Saints. On Monday, the Cleveland Browns gave the ax to head coach Kevin Stefanski, while the Las Vegas Raiders could not wait for Pete Carroll to turn that franchise around.
The decision to let Gannon walk probably wasn’t an easy one for owner Michael Bidwill. After all, the team has 25 players on IR, of which several were starters, including their leading tackler. One has to wonder what this team could have accomplished if they had been able to place all their best players on the field at the same time. But in his three years with the Cardinals, the team never even sniffed the playoffs.
The NFL is a results league, and losing 13 games in 2023 and 14 this year were just too much to ignore. The quarterback issue was always in flux. The offensive line played horrible.
And now, with the firing of Gannon, the Cardinals must find a new head coach. Keep in mind, because Gannon has been released of his duties, this means his entire coaching staff is now unemployed. The new coach can retain any of the former coaches, but usually, he has his own guys to bring in that he is used to working with. Plus, any of these former Cards assistant coaches will be working to gain interviews with other clubs to ensure they have employment in 2026.
The defense has become the one area that has the fewest issues. This is due to Gannon’s experience leading a defense. Perhaps the new guy should retain the importance of the defense, and perhaps Bidwill will continue with a defensive-minded coach to run this ballclub. Then simply hire a stud offensive coordinator to run that side of the ball.
Some defensive coaches for the Cardinals to keep in mind in their head coaching search:
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Jesse Minter
Age: 42
DC Los Angeles Chargers
Minter has taken this defense to new heights. His concept is a bit unorthodox in that he has a conceptually-driven system using the 3-4 base, which would change quite a bit of schemes with the current Cardinals set-up.
He often plays a five-man front, which allows the defense to wall the perimeter of the box with fast EDGE rushers, and a continued use of the nickel. Minter also uses a lot of stunts.
The main ingredient of Minter’s defense is a prominent safety. Fortunately for the Cardinals, S Budda Baker was just named to the Pro Bowl. The Chargers play both Wide Zone and Inside Zone extremely well, holding opponents to below-average results on horizontal runs. Minter is forcing opponents to turn into power run teams.
Minter was the driving force behind Michigan’s defense when they defeated Ohio State four years in a row.
Where does the Chargers’ defense sit this year?
- Passing: #4
- Rushing: #8
- NFL ranking overall: #5
His defenses are known for employing two-high safety shells and aim to stop the run on early downs in order to force third-and-long situations. He will design schemes to counter his opponent’s strengths.
Minter and his wife, Rachelle, have three children.
Aden Durde
Age 46
DC Seattle Seahawks
This Seahawks defense is a scary group.
Durde came to the NFL via the International Player Pathway program, as the British linebacker played in NFL Europe and ended up as the head of football development at NFLUK from 2015 to 2018. Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hired him as their new defensive quality control coach, which made him the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history.
He then had a stint with the Dallas Cowboys before going to Seattle in 2024, where his defense in his first year ranked #14.
Where does the Seahawks defense sit this year?
- Passing: #12
- Rushing: #3
- NFL ranking overall: #6
Durde is a rising head coaching candidate whose defense emphasizes a strong defensive line that will collapse the pocket, a unit focused on consistent effort, stopping the run, and the use of versatile defensive backs.
If the Browns have a serious interest in Durde, they could face challenges balancing Seattle’s postseason preparation with his managing outside interest in key staff members.
Durde and his wife, Kate, have two sons.
Brian Flores
Age 44
DC Minnesota Vikings
Flores has been an NFL head coach before with the Miami Dolphins from 2019-2021. He transformed their defense into a league power while he was there.
Flores has a reputation for being one of the league’s top defensive minds and has been interviewed several times in the past two years. He has been rumored to be the top candidate for the Raiders’ head coaching vacancy.
From a coaching standpoint, Flores fits with the widespread trend of finding a coach who is the exact opposite of Gannon. Flores is no-nonsense and Belichickian. And Flores has ties to Brian Daboll, who could fit nicely at offensive coordinator.
Where does the Vikings defense sit this year?
- Passing: #2
- Rushing: #21
- NFL ranking overall: #3
His defense uses a 3-4 base. He uses a lot of three-safety looks with a single linebacker with three true defensive linemen whose job is to rush the passer. He will also engage a lot of 4-2-5 and even some 4-1-6 on occasion.
Flores loves to put four outside linebackers on the line on third downs. Often he will align a normal secondary structure behind it, whether standard nickel or big. Logistically, it means a lot of rotation. 15 Vikings players have played more than 33% of available defensive snaps.
Flores and his wife, Jennifer, have three children.
