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Bruce Arians did what every head coach is entitled to do, therefore he did nothing wrong.

The Arizona Cardinals did what every franchise should do, therefore they did nothing wrong.

Ray Horton is no longer the defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, therefore everyone is wrong.

Bruce Arians has been the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for less than 24 hours and the honeymoon for GM Steve Keim and Arians is over before the press conference starts.

Arizona Sports 620 and ArizonaSports.com was the first and only media outlet to report before the interview of Bruce Arians that Ray Horton would not be retained as defensive coordinator if Arians earned the head coaching job. The report was 100% correct. The decision was 100% wrong.

It is wrong for any franchise to hire a head coach and then dictate to that head coach who his assistants will be. It shows the players the head coach isn't really in charge. The head coach and the retained assistants need to develop chemistry at best and make sure they aren't being back-stabbed at worst. Forcing assistants on to a head coach tells other potential head coaches of the future that the organization is cheap because it won't pay coaches under contract from the old regime to do nothing. Those assistants will be forced upon the new head coach where they are not wanted. The Cardinals did the right thing to allow Bruce Arians to bring in his own staff.

If Bruce Arians accepted the job despite being forced to keep certain assistants, he shows he's not convicted enough in his principles. It's easy to foreshadow a conviction-less coach's failure in the coming years. Arians was right to stand up for his passion. He clearly isn't a strong leader if he doesn't surround himself with people in which he believes.

Hiring someone who doesn't stand up for themselves is like your daughter's fiancée agreeing to change HIS name. Sure, you're thrilled to see your last name live on for another generation but you have to question what kind of man your daughter has chosen to raise your grandchildren.

I support the hiring of Bruce Arians. It's a coup to be the last team to hire a coach in the 2012-13 carousel and get the most qualified assistant coach on the market.

He's the only coordinator who was actually a playoff "head coach", since it was Arians who led the Colts in Chuck Pagano's health-related absence. The Cardinals just hired the quarterback mentor to Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck. This should be a great day in the history of the Arizona Cardinals. Michael Bidwill and Steve Keim should be applauded for nailing the best candidate outside of Andy Reid.

So why doesn't it feel that way?

So why aren't I clapping?

The first major decision in the history of the Steve Keim/Bruce Arians regime appears so blind that it takes the wind out of the sails before the boat leaves the dock.

I can't get excited about the hire despite it being the right hire. A head coach told Ray Horton-- in no uncertain terms -- that he has a better defensive coordinator to bring in the fold. Sure, if that DC was Dick LeBeau or Monte Kiffin, I'd be telling Horton to suck it up and move on. Since that's not what is happening, I'm being asked to support a great decision immediately followed by a horrific decision, leaving me stuck in neutral.

Removing Ray Horton is no different than going for a fake punt from your own 10-yard line on the first fourth down of your head coaching career: IT BETTER WORK.

Doug Franz, Co-host of Doug & Wolf

18 Comments   |   Join the conversation »
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    shava wrote...
    Good choice, Bad choice?
    Sounds like Bruce Arians is a good mentor has worked well with young QB's. It will be intresting to see what he thinks about the current Cardinals QB's and if he can develope any of them. I won't be suprised if he keeps 1 or 2 of them. I just hope he can build a good O-Line especially the RUNNING GAME..!, that will determine his future with Arizona.
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    MidwestCardsFan wrote...
    I support the hiring of Bruce Arians
    Sounds like just the man for this team. Kolb may not be elite, but he prove to me before having 2 300+lbs defensive linemen land on him at one time in an awkward way. This offensive line is to blame, the lack of a true running game is to blame.. Whiz was as good for as far a Warner took them. After that he was over his head as a coach. You have major issues on the offensive side of the ball, right? Logic! Hire a offensive minded HC, DUH!!!!!! Btw I have been a Cardinal fan since 73.. Yep 5 years old when my dad took me to see them play against the Cowboys at Busch Stadium.
  • Abuse
    BrewCrewAZ wrote...
    @Fitz
    Dude, you're such a drama queen! I swear I've heard this same story from you before. How about you finally live up to it and stop posting. Be fan or don't be fan, just get off the fence.
  • Abuse
    AZSPORTFAN wrote...
    @ FitzIsMyHero
    PROMISE .....................
  • Abuse
    ntmid8r3 wrote...
    ????????????????????
    @SafteyE Seattle did NOT score 58 points against the Cardinals defense. Get your facts straight!!!!! Seattle scored 14 points on a Peterson fumbled punt & an interception reutrned for a TD. Now, how many of Seattle's scores came from a Cardinals turnover, they had 8, not including the 2 I already mentioned. Seattle had a short field all day & the defense was on the field for almost 35 minutes of the 60 played. I suppose the loss against Atlanta was his fault too, right??? His defense only got 5 int's but the offense only had 173 net yards. Yeah, Horton's defense wasn't that good(sarcasm)
  • Abuse
    Casey S. wrote...
    To SafteyE
    Well first off, you're wrong. Our defense ranked 3rd in EPA at the end of the season, so average stats can be misleading until you look at the overall picture. Another thing very few people take into account is that our defense would have been MUCH better statistically speaking if we had ANY sort of offense at all last season. Having three-and-outs and pick sixes all game long really hurt the field positioning and overall motivation of a defense. Were they the best defense in the league? No. Would they have EASILY been a top 10? Yes.
  • Abuse
    the cooker wrote...
    No problem with Horton
    I have no problem with hiring a new DC as Horton said right up front that if he did not get the HC gig he was not coming back. I just have a problem with the new HC hiring. Maybe I am wrong but will the man's health hold up to the task? I know there are other HC out there that are extremely overweight and older in years but that is definitely a concern. Before you freak out I am older too.
  • Abuse
    Joe1013e wrote...
    On the fence
    I also have to wonder about the relationship between Arians and Horton. Most assumed that because they worked together in Pittsburgh, they must like each other. Now there are some posts that say Horton wasn't that good of a coordinator, the team gave up on Whiz, etc. Well, you can't blame Horton for the defense slipping at the end of the season, the offense couldn't keep them off the field. In Time of Possession, the Cardinals ranked 24th in the league at 29:19. They were also last in third down conversions and last in total first downs.
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