ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals fill roles on the offensive coaching staff despite no OC

Jan 13, 2019, 2:52 PM | Updated: Jan 14, 2019, 7:21 am

Steve Heiden will return to the Arizona Cardinals coaching staff as tight ends coach. (AP Photo)...

Steve Heiden will return to the Arizona Cardinals coaching staff as tight ends coach. (AP Photo)

(AP Photo)

Offensive assistant coaches were the priority for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday as the team announced the hiring of four position coaches.

David Raih was announced as the wide receivers coach, Steve Heiden was announced as the tight ends coach and Brian Natkin was named the assistant offensive line coach under Sean Kugler, who was named the offensive line coach.

Raih coached with Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech in 2013. Since then he has spent time with the Green Bay Packers as a wide receivers coach and played college football at the University of Iowa.

Heiden began coaching with the Cardinals in 2013 and was the assistant offensive line coach last season. Heiden played 11 seasons as a tight end with the Chargers and Browns.

Replacing Heiden is Brian Natkin who coached six season with UTEP as an offensive line coach, tight ends coach, special teams coordinator and offensive coordinator.

Natkin will coach under Kugler, who was highly sought after for several offensive line coach positions around the NFL this season. Kugler choose the Cardinals despite drawing interest from the Jets, Dolphins, Browns and Buccaneers, according to reports.

The Cardinals are still without an offensive coordinator as it was speculated Steve Sarkisian was the front runner to fill the role. On Saturday it was reported Sarkisian would take a job at Alabama instead.

Sunday, the Cardinals were set to interview John DeFilippo for the open role.

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Cardinals fill roles on the offensive coaching staff despite no OC