Anthony Campanile is a finalist to be the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, but the grass might not be greener in Glendale.
The Jacksonville Jaguars only have one hurdle left to clear to keep Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile. He interviewed for the head coach vacancy for the Miami Dolphins, but ultimately lost out to Jeff Hafley, a fellow DC from the Green Bay Packers. Earlier this week, he conducted a second meeting with the Arizona Cardinals.
At this stage in the process, he has to be considered one of the finalists for the job. After all, he’s the only candidate whom the Cardinals have reportedly met with twice. His first interview wasn’t made public, so it stands to reason that Arizona hasn’t made all of their applicants known. The fact that the Cardinals chose to announce his second-round invitation suggests that he’s in serious consideration.
What Campanile would be working with in Arizona
Like Grant Udinski, Anthony Campanile’s end goal was always to be a head coach in the NFL. Anytime an opportunity to capture one’s dream arises, it’s usually a good move to take it. However, many coaches have come and gone and never gotten a second chance due to the disastrous results of the situation. That could be the case for Camp with the Arizona Cardinals.
This past season, the Cards were one of the most lost teams in the NFL. They came into the year with playoff aspirations and expectations to be at least a dark-horse postseason contender. Instead, they finished at the bottom of the standings with a 3-14 record.
It’s not just the overall mark that’s discouraging in Arizona. It’s also their lack of direction. The Cardinals are going into the eighth year of their rebuild with Kyler Murray. He played so poorly this season that he was benched for veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
This team has been pushing to be serious contenders for a half-decade with no end in sight. If Camp takes the job, he’ll either have to find a way to reawaken Murray’s potential or help find a trade partner for his services, lest he and the Cardinals get stuck in QB purgatory.
Murray’s spot on the depth chart isn’t the only question mark on the roster, either. Campanile is a defensive specialist, but he’ll have his work cut out for him in Arizona, trying to overhaul a unit that finished 27th in yards allowed per game and 29th in points. Most of the best defenders on the team are already old and rapidly aging.
He’ll have to manage all of the Cardinals’ deficiencies while having to face Mike McDonald’s Seattle Seahawks, Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams, and Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers twice a year each in the NFC West. There’s a reason that Jonathan Gannon only lasted three years in Glendale.
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