Cardinals coach Bruce Arians shuts down report of retirement talk

Two recent health scares might have led to the speculation that Cardinals coach Bruce Arians could be thinking about retirement. And while CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported that coaches who know the Arizona coach think he could consider calling it a career after the 2016 season, Arians himself doesn’t buy it.

“First of all, I don’t have that many friends,” Arians said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s Bickley and Marotta.

The rumors that his family could perhaps push him to retire “couldn’t be anything further from the truth,” the Cardinals coach added. “(General manager Steve Keim) and I are talking a lot about, you know, what pieces do we need to start looking at, getting guys signed up for future contracts, and looking forward to finishing this year and damn sure coaching next year.”

While the hospitalizations — one in the preseason for Diverticulitis and one after the Minnesota game in Week 11 for chest pains — may be concerning, the 64-year-old coach said his health has been affected by the stress of the job his entire coaching career.

“Everybody gets sick, really sick after the season because, your immune system is shot,” he told Bickley and Marotta. “Everybody, most coaches, will be sick as a dog. I’ve been sick every year for the last 30 years within two weeks after the season.

“I did an adrenal test last year. I was an acute adrenal failure after the season. That’s just coaching.”

So is it stress? Lack of sleep? What causes a coach to fall ill?

“All of above,” Arians said. “Lack of good whiskey.”

In which case, the Cardinals coach believes he’ll survive continuing to coach beyond this year.

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