Jonathan Gannon, who was the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator, on Tuesday agreed to terms on a five-year contract as the new Cardinals head coach.
“I am super excited about the opportunity,” said Gannon, who got a chance to briefly meet with quarterback Kyler Murray before flying back to Philadelphia. “I look forward to getting my hands on the players and putting a winning product on the field.”
Gannon, 40, becomes the 11th coach the team has hired since moving to Arizona in 1988, replacing Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury was fired on Jan. 9 after the Cardinals finished 4-13. More than a month later, the Cards waited Gannon out until he was available.
Gannon will retrieve his family and then return to Arizona for a planned Thursday morning introductory press conference.
“Jonathan came in here with a lot of energy, helped his team to a very successful season, and came in here as a natural leader, a charisma to him,” Ossenfort said. “It was a natural fit between myself and Michael, our conversation from the start, and we all share a joint vision of what the Arizona Cardinals are going to be moving forward.”
As recently as after the NFC Championship game, Gannon had said he was going to remain in Philadelphia after interviews for other head coach openings didn’t pan out. But the Cardinals worked on an interview less than 24 hours after the Eagles’ 38-35 loss to the Chiefs and the partnership came together quickly.
“We’ve been looking at Jonathan for a while,” Bidwill said. “I know Jonathan and Monti had spoken last year and Monti was pretty fired up about him. I got a chance to watch some videos about Jonathan and got a feel for his personality.
“When he came in (Monday) and put together his vision, his plan, it really seemed like it stood out. We had tremendous candidates, but he stood out in terms of his energy and also what his plan is. Every time he has been in a position to lead, he has excelled.”