Can Mike LaFleur duplicate Jordan Ott’s success in Year 1?

Mike LaFleur is fresh air. His press conferences are authentic and interesting. His energy is real, and not the oddball variety of his predecessor. He is a reason to believe that misery will not linger forever in Arizona.

The Cardinals and the fan base badly need a touchstone. A voice that inspires and commands the room and beyond. It appears their new head coach is off to a good start.

“Taking it one day at a time,” LaFleur said of his inaugural journey. “Always evaluate yourself and be hard on yourself and figuring out what you can do better. What you like, what you need to lean on. Don’t try to overthink it. Just try to be authentic and true to myself and tell these guys the truth.”

Many little changes have been made under LaFleur’s watch. Training camp plays are recorded and immediately placed on the Jumbotrons for real-time teaching purposes. The locker room seating chart has been changed to eliminate the cliques and invisible walls that come with position group seating, helping to ignite new relationships.

“One of the coolest parts that I like about football is you have all walks of life in one locker room,” LaFleur said. “And for the most part, it’s a pretty perfect society.”

LaFleur does not seem to come with hard and fast rules, like his sliding-scale stance on training camp fights. He doesn’t waste time on 7-on-7 drills, correctly noting that it’s not real football. His coaches will conduct ball security presentations every week in front of the team to keep the focus sharp and limit the turnovers. He’s also doubling down on his demands for operational excellence, saying he will conduct a walk-through practice before the official walk-through practice.

That’s simple, but very smart.

“I told these guys to get ready to walk through because we’re going to do it a lot, so we know we’re sharp and we know what the heck is going on,” LaFleur said.

On Friday, as Cardinals players filed onto the field at State Farm Stadium, Suns coach Jordan Ott and CEO Josh Bartelstein arrived through the back door. They were guests of LaFleur, and the symbolism was powerful.

In his rookie season, Ott looked like a prodigy, like a young Mozart. He acted like a seasoned veteran, in command and always under control. Can LaFleur do the same while leading a much larger group of men? With a football team that carries an embarrassing over/under of just 3.5 wins, the lowest in NFL history since the league expanded to 17 games?

LaFleur has the gift of pedigree and experience. He is very close with his brother, Matt, a successful NFL head coach in Green Bay. He’s worked closely with Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, who are both elite in their own way. LaFleur has been exposed to a lot of great minds, good ideas and best practices.

The most promising sign might be Tyler Allgeier, the running back who should be most aggrieved of all players in camp and under contract. Allgeier signed with the team believing he was sharing a backfield with an aging James Conner, before the Cardinals drafted Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick.

Instead of airing his unhappiness, Allgeier presented himself as a great teammate, a guy willing to share the football and the spotlight. He credited LaFleur for calling him when the Love decision when down, which is how trust is built.

“I think when communication lacks, negativity fills the void,” LaFleur said.

Savor and ponder that quote for a moment. It’s the kind of wisdom from a first-time NFL head coach that inspires me and fills me with hope. And here’s wishing that LaFleur learned even more on Friday, and that he can come close to duplicating what Ott achieved in his Valley debut.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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