RonF
Per Ardua Ad Astra
No stranger to tough jobs
Cards' new coach took plenty of hard hits as player in NFL
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 16, 2007 12:00 AM
The play goes by various names: 40 Nose Wham, 40 Bang Lead. For the Falcons and Redskins in the late 1980s and early 1990s it was a staple of the game plan against a 3-4 defense.
As an H-back for the Falcons, and later, the Redskins, it was Ken Whisenhunt's job to provide the "Wham" and the "Bang." Whisenhunt would line up in various spots in the formation but always end up on the same place: slamming into a 300-pound nose guard.
"I think Kenny made the team because of that," said one of his old coaches, Rod Dowhower.
It's the kind of tenacity those close to Whisenhunt expect him to bring to the Cardinals as their new coach.
In football, little was ever given to Whisenhunt. He walked on at Georgia Tech. He was drafted in the 12th and final round by the Falcons in 1985 and had to find a niche to stay in the league for nine years.
He started his coaching career at Vanderbilt, where he worked for Dowhower. He climbed the coaching profession ladder, working for four teams. As the Steelers offensive coordinator the past three seasons, he's drawn acclaim for reaffirming a commitment to the run, developing a young quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and for displaying boldness in his play calling.
That's why the Cardinals hired him and will formally introduce him as their head coach at a news conference at 3 p.m. today.
"I think the players are going to appreciate him," said Dowhower, now retired and living in the Valley. "He's going to expect a lot of them. But he's played, too, and he understands what it is to sacrifice."
Whisenhunt hasn't been available to Arizona reporters since his hiring on Sunday, but he told Pittsburgh reporters that leaving the Steelers was emotional.
"I think it's a good opportunity for me," he said of the Cardinals job. "They really made an effort to want me to come out there and of course that was important."
In Pittsburgh, Whisenhunt built an offense around a punishing running attack, yet he was creative enough to use the skills of other players. He had receiver Antwaan Randle El, a college quarterback, throwing passes to receiver Hines Ward.
Whisenhunt has some of those same skills at his disposal in Arizona. The Cardinals have two accomplished young receivers in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Quarterback Matt Leinart, a rookie last year, should become a star. Running back Edgerrin James is good for at least 1,200 yards a year. The offensive line showed promise during the second half of last season.
Steelers influence?
But Whisenhunt is not necessarily intent on having the Cardinals trying to look like Pittsburgh-West.
"I think you have a lot of talent on offense here," Whisenhunt said when visiting Arizona for his first interview with the Cardinals. "I think that what we've done in Pittsburgh is we've tried to put players in the best situation for them to be successful instead of trying to make them fit our scheme. We've tried to adjust our scheme to fit them."
On his visit, Whisenhunt gave few hints about his defensive philosophy. He spent the past six seasons with the Steelers, who run a 3-4 scheme that features heavy blitzing, but it's unknown whether he'll try to do that in Arizona.
Whisenhunt's top priority now is hiring a coaching staff. The Cardinals have retained seven assistants that management would like for him to interview, but Whisenhunt has been told he's under no obligation to hire any of them.
It wouldn't be surprising, however, if defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast returned.
Whisenhunt might be handicapped by the Steelers' coaching vacancy. The Steelers assistants are under contract through at least next year, and that staff could stay intact if the club hires assistant head coach Russ Grimm as head coach.
Whisenhunt was one of the hotter names on the coaching market this year. Yet, the Steelers have taken their time in finding a replacement, and Whisenhunt elected not to wait for them to decide.
While the Steelers' job is considerably more stable than the Cardinals', Whisenhunt, 44, decided the situation in Arizona was right for him.
Last year, he turned down the coaching job with the Raiders, one of the league's more dysfunctional franchises. Some would argue that the Cardinals, who have had one winning season since moving to Arizona in 1988, aren't far behind.
But coaching jobs open for a reason, usually because a team has been struggling. If an aspiring head coach gets too picky, he might not ever get a job.
Sometimes you're the guy asked to block the nose tackle on 40 Nose Wham.
"I don't know how many opportunities you get at jobs," Whisenhunt told Yahoo! Sports last year at the Super Bowl. "I don't think you can ever say, 'I'm going to be choosy or pick a job.' I think you have to be smart about if the job is right for you
Cards' new coach took plenty of hard hits as player in NFL
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 16, 2007 12:00 AM
The play goes by various names: 40 Nose Wham, 40 Bang Lead. For the Falcons and Redskins in the late 1980s and early 1990s it was a staple of the game plan against a 3-4 defense.
As an H-back for the Falcons, and later, the Redskins, it was Ken Whisenhunt's job to provide the "Wham" and the "Bang." Whisenhunt would line up in various spots in the formation but always end up on the same place: slamming into a 300-pound nose guard.
"I think Kenny made the team because of that," said one of his old coaches, Rod Dowhower.
It's the kind of tenacity those close to Whisenhunt expect him to bring to the Cardinals as their new coach.
In football, little was ever given to Whisenhunt. He walked on at Georgia Tech. He was drafted in the 12th and final round by the Falcons in 1985 and had to find a niche to stay in the league for nine years.
He started his coaching career at Vanderbilt, where he worked for Dowhower. He climbed the coaching profession ladder, working for four teams. As the Steelers offensive coordinator the past three seasons, he's drawn acclaim for reaffirming a commitment to the run, developing a young quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and for displaying boldness in his play calling.
That's why the Cardinals hired him and will formally introduce him as their head coach at a news conference at 3 p.m. today.
"I think the players are going to appreciate him," said Dowhower, now retired and living in the Valley. "He's going to expect a lot of them. But he's played, too, and he understands what it is to sacrifice."
Whisenhunt hasn't been available to Arizona reporters since his hiring on Sunday, but he told Pittsburgh reporters that leaving the Steelers was emotional.
"I think it's a good opportunity for me," he said of the Cardinals job. "They really made an effort to want me to come out there and of course that was important."
In Pittsburgh, Whisenhunt built an offense around a punishing running attack, yet he was creative enough to use the skills of other players. He had receiver Antwaan Randle El, a college quarterback, throwing passes to receiver Hines Ward.
Whisenhunt has some of those same skills at his disposal in Arizona. The Cardinals have two accomplished young receivers in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Quarterback Matt Leinart, a rookie last year, should become a star. Running back Edgerrin James is good for at least 1,200 yards a year. The offensive line showed promise during the second half of last season.
Steelers influence?
But Whisenhunt is not necessarily intent on having the Cardinals trying to look like Pittsburgh-West.
"I think you have a lot of talent on offense here," Whisenhunt said when visiting Arizona for his first interview with the Cardinals. "I think that what we've done in Pittsburgh is we've tried to put players in the best situation for them to be successful instead of trying to make them fit our scheme. We've tried to adjust our scheme to fit them."
On his visit, Whisenhunt gave few hints about his defensive philosophy. He spent the past six seasons with the Steelers, who run a 3-4 scheme that features heavy blitzing, but it's unknown whether he'll try to do that in Arizona.
Whisenhunt's top priority now is hiring a coaching staff. The Cardinals have retained seven assistants that management would like for him to interview, but Whisenhunt has been told he's under no obligation to hire any of them.
It wouldn't be surprising, however, if defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast returned.
Whisenhunt might be handicapped by the Steelers' coaching vacancy. The Steelers assistants are under contract through at least next year, and that staff could stay intact if the club hires assistant head coach Russ Grimm as head coach.
Whisenhunt was one of the hotter names on the coaching market this year. Yet, the Steelers have taken their time in finding a replacement, and Whisenhunt elected not to wait for them to decide.
While the Steelers' job is considerably more stable than the Cardinals', Whisenhunt, 44, decided the situation in Arizona was right for him.
Last year, he turned down the coaching job with the Raiders, one of the league's more dysfunctional franchises. Some would argue that the Cardinals, who have had one winning season since moving to Arizona in 1988, aren't far behind.
But coaching jobs open for a reason, usually because a team has been struggling. If an aspiring head coach gets too picky, he might not ever get a job.
Sometimes you're the guy asked to block the nose tackle on 40 Nose Wham.
"I don't know how many opportunities you get at jobs," Whisenhunt told Yahoo! Sports last year at the Super Bowl. "I don't think you can ever say, 'I'm going to be choosy or pick a job.' I think you have to be smart about if the job is right for you
