Report: Cardinals fire DL coach Achuff, assistant ST coach McCray

Dec 30, 2019, 9:01 AM | Updated: 2:20 pm

General view of action as quarterback Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams prepares to snap the football during the first half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Rans defeated Cardinals 34-7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

BY ARIZONA SPORTS

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly parting ways with defensive line coach Chris Achuff and assistant special teams coach Randall McCray.

The news was first reported by Sirius XM host Alex Marvez, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury neither confirmed nor denied the report when asked about it directly in his postseason press conference on Monday morning.

Achuff joined the Cardinals staff in February of 2018, the same offseason in which Steve Wilks took over for Bruce Arians as the Cardinals’ head coach. He was assistant defensive line coach then, and became defensive line coach in 2019.

Achuff was previously a college coach for 19 years, coaching the defensive lines at Baylor, Tennessee-Martin, Charleston Southern and Tennessee-Chattanooga.

The Cardinals’ defense as a whole was 23rd in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 120.1 yards per game on the ground.

McCray was the assistant special teams coach under special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers, who also is the assistant head coach. Like Achuff, McCray was hired in February of 2018.

He was previously a college assistant for 26 years.

This season, the Cardinals ranked 18th in the NFL in yards per punt return (7.0) and 24th in yards per kick return (21.2). They did, however, rank eight in field goal percentage (88.6%) and third in yards per punt (47.0) with kicker Zane Gonzalez and punter Andy Lee, respectively. The team ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in fewest yards allowed on opposing punt returns.

The Cardinals got a 60.5 grade on special teams from Pro Football Focus, which was only 24th in the league.

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