Cardinals Hire Jonathan Gannon as New Head Coach

Jonathan Gannon with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021
Jonathan Gannon with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. Photo by Chris Szagola/CSM/Shutterstock (12451974x)

The Arizona Cardinals announced on Tuesday the appointment of Jonathan Gannon as the team’s new head coach. He replaces Kliff Kingsbury, who was dismissed in January after going 28-37-1 with one playoff appearance over four seasons.

Gannon joins the Cardinals on a five-year contract. The move comes just two days after Gannon acted as the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator in their 38-35 Super Bowl LVII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. While Gannon’s team went into halftime with a 10-point advantage, they conceded 24 points in the second half to lose the game.

Since joining the Eagles two years ago, Gannon helped to transform their defense from the get-go, turning them into a top-10 defense during his first season. Last season, the Eagles emerged as the No. 2 team in the NFL with two Pro Bowlers.

Arizona began the search for a new head coach in January, with owner Michael Bidwill stating that he would “cast the net far and wide” in his search. While Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen was also a target, he was hired by the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday.