Cardinals land Eagles defensive coordinator Gannon as new head coach
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Jonathan Gannon. Photo: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Arizona Cardinals have a new head coach — Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who helped lead his team to this year's Super Bowl.
What happened: Gannon and the Cards signed a five-year contract Tuesday.
- He beat out New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo for the job.
- Gannon interviewed with the team Monday and met with the Cards again Tuesday before the deal was finalized, The Arizona Republic reported.
- The Houston Texans interviewed Gannon for their head coaching vacancy in January, but ultimately hired DeMeco Ryans.
Details: Gannon spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator in Philly, where he oversaw one of the NFL's stoutest defenses.
- The Eagles gave up 301.5 yards per game in 2022, the second-fewest in the league behind San Francisco.
- Philly's 328.8 yards per game in 2021 was 10th in the NFL — (the Cards were just behind the Eagles that season).
Why it matters: The Cards' defense struggled last season, giving up 348.9 yards per game, which ranked them 21st out of the league's 32 teams.
- Arizona went 4-13, finishing last in its division with the NFL's third-worst record.
Catch up quick: Arizona fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury last month after his fourth season with the team.
Zoom in: Gannon, 40, was a defensive quality control coach for the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, an assistant defensive backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings, and defensive backs coach with the Indianapolis Colts before joining the Eagles in 2021.
What they're saying: "This guy is a stud," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said last month.
Flashback: Gannon coached at State Farm Stadium twice last season, beating the Cards 20-17 in October and falling 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the Arizona Cardinals went 4-13 this season, not 4-3.