Report: Cardinals planning to interview Bengals’ Anarumo, Callahan
Jan 30, 2023, 1:16 PM | Updated: 1:52 pm
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo of the Cincinnati Bengals argues a call during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
(Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly planning to interview Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan for their head-coaching vacancy this week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The plan is for Anarumo to meet with the team on Wednesday before Callahan interviews on Thursday.
Anarumo and Callahan just wrapped up Year 4 in their coordinator roles with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship on Sunday, positions they’ve held since 2019. They’re coming off back-to-back AFC Championship games and a Super Bowl berth last year.
Defensively, Cincinnati was tied for fifth in the league in points allowed (20.1 per game) in 2022 and seventh in rushing yards given up (106.6 per game). On the offensive side, the Bengals were eighth in total offense (360.5 per game) and sixth in points scored (26.1 per game).
Anarumo got his NFL coaching start as a defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins from 2012-17. He was also named interim DC in 2015.
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After his stint in Miami, Anarumo was named the New York Giants DBs coach in 2018. He stayed in New York for just one season before joining Cincinnati.
Callahan, son of former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan, began his NFL coaching career as a Denver Broncos coaching assistant in 2010 before moving on to offensive quality control coach (2011-12) and offensive assistant (2013-15).
He also spent time with the Detroit Lions (2016-17) and Raiders (2018) as their QBs coach.
The Cardinals continue their stone unturning for their next head coach after already meeting with seven candidates, the latest being former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton on Thursday.
Ahead of the NFC and AFC Championship games on Sunday, Payton mentioned the extended length of coaching searches this year and thinks “we are going to know a lot more” next week on FOX’s pregame broadcast.
Arizona kicked off its coaching search with now-Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich before interviewing in-house option and DC Vance Joseph, Broncos DC Ejiro Evero, Lions DC Aaron Glenn, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive assistant Brian Flores and Dallas Cowboys DC Dan Quinn.
Reich has since taken the Panthers’ head-coaching job and Quinn is returning to the Cowboys, taking their names out of the running in Arizona.
The Cardinals also requested an interview with San Francisco 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, but the coordinator canceled his meeting with Arizona to focus on his team’s playoff game.
