On Monday, the Arizona Cardinals announced the hiring of Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks as their new head coach. It appears he won't be the only Panthers coach making the trip to the desert, as Carolina linebackers coach Al Holcomb is reportedly the favorite to land Arizona's defensive coordinator job.
From the Charlotte Observer's Joe Person:
Continuing to hear Panthers LBs coach Al Holcomb is front runner for defensive coordinator job in Arizona. Holcomb's a well-respected coach whom Sean McDermott wanted to take to Buffalo last year but he was still under contract in Carolina.
Shortly after Person's report, ESPN's Adam Schefter stated that Holcomb is “expected” to be named the new defensive coordinator of the Cardinals shortly.
As Person noted, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott really wanted to bring Holcomb with him to his new team last offseason, but his contract with the Panthers prevented the move. Now, it appears Holcomb will follow another Carolina defensive coordinator to their new head coaching gig.
After starting his coaching career at the collegiate level, Holcomb landed the defensive quality control position with the New York Giants in 2009. He was promoted to defensive assistant in 2011 before becoming the Panthers' linebackers coach in 2013. Under his tutelage in Carolina, Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis became two of the most revered linebackers in the NFL, helping the franchise reach Super Bowl 50.
Holcomb hopes to rejuvenate a defensive unit in Arizona that was one of the more formidable groups in the NFL before this season. Despite finishing sixth in total defense in 2017, the Cardinals were 19th in scoring defense, struggling to prevent opposing offenses from scoring touchdowns once they reached the red zone.
Follow Us
Subscribe