Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim: Arians is ‘my Coach of the Year’

Dec 23, 2013, 3:39 PM | Updated: 3:46 pm

The Arizona Cardinals did the unthinkable Sunday.

They went into CenturyLink Field in Seattle and beat the Seahawks 17-10 — a feat not accomplished since the San Francisco 49ers did it on Christmas Eve of 2011.

The win was the latest chapter in the story of the 2013 Cardinals — one penned in part by new general manager Steve Keim, who restructured the team’s roster and coaching staff following a wretched 5-11 campaign in 2012.

Monday morning on The Doug and Wolf Show on Arizona Sports 620, Keim deflected a lot of the credit toward first-year head coach Bruce Arians.

“He’s my coach of the year, I can tell you that,” Keim said. “To do what he’s done with so many roster moves — and I’m talking about 191 roster moves since January, playing with 11 new starters out of 22 — and to take guys off the street every week, whether it’s been Teddy Williams or Brittan Golden or Marcus Benard, and to play with those guys and have success with them, he continues to recycle players that we’ve pulled off the street and has had success with them.”

Arians, who won the AP Coach of the Year Award in 2012 for his excellent work on an interim basis with the Indianapolis Colts, figures to be a prime candidate to become the first back-to-back winner since Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins in 1982 and 1983.

“I’d put him up with against anybody because of the amount of moves that we’ve made and the changes we’ve made from a roster standpoint in the offseason.”

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) runs for a 20-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (92) and outside linebacker K.J. Wright (50) tackle Arizona Cardinals running back LaRod Stephens-Howling (36) during the first quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll congratulates running back Marshawn Lynch (24) after Lynch scored on a 20-yard touchdown run during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)	Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) returns an interception from Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton for a 19-yard touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) celebrates with wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) after returning an interception from Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton for a 19-yard touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) runs past Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) as he returns an interception for a 19-yard touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Seattle Seahawks tight end Zach Miller (86) is hit by Arizona Cardinals strong safety Rashad Johnson (49) as he scores on a 24-yard touchdown reception during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear) Seattle Seahawks tight end Zach Miller (86) celebrates in front of Arizona Cardinals strong safety Rashad Johnson (49) after scoring on a 24-yard touchdown reception during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear) Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) runs for a 33-yard touchdown past Arizona Cardinals strong safety Rashad Johnson (49) and inside linebacker Daryl Washington (58) during the third quarterof an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear) Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) runs for a 33-yard touchdown past Arizona Cardinals strong safety Rashad Johnson (49) and inside linebacker Daryl Washington (58) during the third quarterof an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton (19) walks off the field during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear) Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) is congratulated by wide receiver Sidney Rice after scoring on a 33-yard touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) bows against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. The Seahawks won 58-0. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Seattle Seahawks running back Leon Washington (33) celebrates with fullback Michael Robinson (26) after scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. The Seahawks won 58-0. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Seattle Seahawks running back Leon Washington (33) scores on a 3-yard touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. The Seahawks won 58-0. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) and wide receiver Michael Floyd (15) sit on the bench during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. The Seahawks won 58-0. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, left, shakes hands with Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll after an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. The Seahawks won 58-0. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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