Steve Wilks Reportedly Fired by Cardinals After 1 Season as Head Coach

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The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly fired head coach Steve Wilks on Monday after just one season with the organization.  

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Wilks told his staff during a meeting that he would not return, despite not being officially informed by owner Michael Bidwill that he would be replaced. 

Arizona hired Wilks in January following the retirement of Bruce Arians, and Wilks led them to a 3-13 record and the first overall selection in the 2019 NFL draft.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported prior to the team’s Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams that the Cardinals planned to part ways with Wilks.

The 49-year-old North Carolina native arrived to the Cardinals with more than two decades of coaching experience at the collegiate and NFL levels. He’d spent the previous six seasons with the Carolina Panthers, including three years as the assistant head coach to Ron Rivera.

His first stint as an NFL head coach—he previously led the Savannah State Tigers for one year in 1999—failed to get going, though.

The Cardinals lost their first four games and six of their first seven in what was a transitional year.

Arizona’s inability to showcase sustained progress on either side of the ball led to Wilks’ departure.

The Cards ranked 32nd in total defense and 20th in total offense during his only season at the helm.

Changing quarterbacks from veteran Sam Bradford to rookie Josh Rosen, who the team selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2018 draft, didn’t yield a spark from an offense that was expected to make at least some noise with David Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk as its playmakers.

So, instead of trying to let Rosen and Wilks go through some growing pains together, the Cardinals have decided to quickly hook their first-year coach.

When Arizona hires its new head coach for the 2019 season, it will mark the team’s third different head coach in the past three seasons.