Arizona Cardinals assistant Tom Moore: ‘I’m living the dream’

TEMPE, Ariz. — At 68 years of age, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin is the oldest head coach in the NFL, armed with experience that dates back to 1969 when he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Syracuse University.

Yet in terms of experience, he has nothing on Arizona assistant Tom Moore.

The 75-year-old Moore, who is serving as the Cardinals’ assistant head coach/offense, began his career as a freshmen coach at the University of Iowa in 1961. During his time on the sideline he’s developed a reputation as one of the game’s better offensive minds as well as a quarterback guru, and he’s been credited with helping to develop Peyton Manning.

“He’s a guy with so much experience, and I leaned on him a lot,” Manning said. “Just taught me a lot about the game of professional football, about playing quarterback in the NFL.”

Manning went on to say he was honored to play for Moore as long as he did, and that he “will always be indebted to him.”

Sunday they will be on opposing sidelines, with Moore’s new team trying to stop his former pupil.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, a bit of an elder statesman himself at 62, brought Moore on prior to last season, and positive results have followed.

“He’s been around this league for a very long period of time and seen a lot of stuff; there isn’t much he hasn’t seen,” quarterback Drew Stanton said of Moore. “So getting to pick his brain, he’s sitting in the room with us asking questions and trying to do stuff and go over reads and progressions.

“So it’s very beneficial having him.”

Follow @theAdamGreen