The Arizona Cardinals found their replacement for Kliff Kingsbury, who they fired after the 2022 season. They hired former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, introducing him as their head coach on Thursday afternoon.
Interestingly, he mentioned the Rams during his press conference, and not just because they’re a new division rival for him. He actually has previous ties to the organization, going way back to his time as a scout.
Gannon was a college scout for the Rams in 2009, which was his second job in the NFL after being a defensive quality control coach with the Falcons in 2007. He was then promoted to pro scout with the Rams in 2010, holding that position for two years. Gannon went back to the coaching side of things in 2012 and has remained there ever since, working his way up to defensive coordinator and now head coach.
New #Cards HC Jonathan Gannon said being on the personnel side for three years with the #Rams gave him a different view of coaching.
Says he has very specific vision for players he wants to bring in, mentioned anyone he brings in will have "elite football character." pic.twitter.com/4oFBIS7R5d
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherNFL) February 16, 2023
Gannon says his time as a scout with the Rams helped him as a coach, giving him a different perspective on the roster-building process beyond just the players he’s going to coach.
