The Arizona Cardinals announced some coaching changes on Monday, making two coaching promotions and one hiring. Sean Kugler was promoted from being offensive line coach, adding the title run game coordinator.
With the reported retirement of Tom Clement, who was the team’s passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, there has been discussion from fans and analysts about whether head coach Kliff Kingsbury would hire an offensive coordinator.
After all, even the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers now have offensive coordinators after previously not having them. Rams head coach Sean McVay added Kevin O’Connell last year and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan promoted Mike McDaniel this offseason.
However, for those hoping for Kingsbury to make someone offensive coordinator, don’t expect it.
When Clements was on staff, he was listed alongside defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers on the team’s coaching roster as coordinators. Kingsbury explained that when Clements was hired he would do many things that offensive coordinators do.
With Clements’ retirement and Kugler’s promotion, the Cardinals’ coaching roster shows him alongside Joseph and Rodgers, as he is technically a coordinator. If Kingsbury were going to add another coach to be offensive coordinator in title, he would likely have done it.
Instead, it is Kugler who is sort of the offensive coordinator like Clements was with the passing game.
Kugler will be charged with the run game, which was his role before, and Kingsbury will have his hands all over the passing game in 2021.
As for an actual OC, unless something changes, it doesn’t look like it is going to happen this year.
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