Arizona Cardinals have officially parted ways with head coach Jonathan Gannon, fired…
After losing Sam Siefkes to the collegiate levels, the Arizona Cardinals are in search of a new inside linebackers coach.
Yesterday, Siefkes agreed to take a position at Virginia Tech as defensive coordinator.
When Siefkes was first hired by Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon in 2023, he received a strong recommendation from his now-former boss:
“A outstanding leader in the coaching field is joining Virginia Tech and Coach Pry. Sam has incredible understanding about how to prevent offenses and is an excellent teacher and communicator. He is an excellent coach and a wonderful person. He will bring a ton of juice and competitive stamina to Blacksburg. “Hokie Nation should prepare for a tough, intelligent, and aggressive team that will dominate games,” Gannon said.
Siefkes was also endorsed by Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson on Twitter/X:
Because he had spent the previous two seasons under defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ scheme, Siefkes was a desirable coach for Virginia Tech. The Cardinals’ defense did surpass expectations in 2024, despite Arizona being considered one of the NFL’s best groups.
According to Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry, “people all over the nation couldn’t stop praising Sam’s knowledge of the game and his abilities as a coach” (h/t ESPN).
“As I got to know him, I realized how much I agreed. Sam joining our program makes me very happy. He has trained under some of the top experts in the field.
Gannon will now need to replace his inside linebackers coach either internally or by looking outside the Tempe facility.
NFC Coaching Rumors: Cardinals, Bucs, and Falcons
One of the more noteworthy staff splits in recent years is Liam Coen’s Buccaneers divorce. Coen’s decision to pull out of an extension deal in order to accept the Jaguars’ HC offer has resulted in a number of other impact items in addition to the Bucs’ OC hunt. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, several leaguers are now unsure of how eager coordinator candidates will be to work with Todd Bowles. Although there were fewer termination rumors in 2024, Bowles has avoided them for several seasons. The speculations regarding the experienced head coach’s shady standing in Tampa continue, despite the fact that it is a little strange that he keeps winning division titles (3-for-3).
In light of this, Jones says it is unrealistic to expect the Bucs to release any coaches from their contracts in order to follow Coen to Jacksonville. On Thursday, when Coen was expected to sign his Bucs extension, Bowles, Jason Licht, and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg made an effort to get in touch with him. The signing had previously been postponed by Coen. In order to continue his negotiations with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the one-and-done Tampa Bay offensive coordinator even lied about a personal issue. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter said during an interview on the Pat McAfee Show that the Bucs were rather annoyed with his departure process.
The most recent information from the NFC’s coaching carousel is as follows:
The linebackers coach for the Cardinals is leaving to take a position as a college coordinator. Sam Siefkes was appointed as Virginia Tech’s next DC. After two years as a Vikings assistant, Siefkes was hired by Jonathan Gannon. He had led Wofford’s defense while serving in the college ranks before that. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 also reports that the Arizona team is not rehiring D-line coach Derrick LeBlanc. Prior to moving to Arizona in 2023, LeBlanc had worked for the Dolphins for almost 20 years at the collegiate level.
