Arizona Cardinals hire Frank Reich as wide receivers’ coach, John McNulty to train quarterbacks
Arizona Cardinals has hired former National Football League (NFL) quarterback, Frank Reich, as the franchise’s coach for wide receivers.
John McNulty, who was earlier serving as wide receivers’ coach, has now been appointed as quarterbacks’ coach.
All the decisions were formally made on Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
After this development, the appointment of almost all the coaching personnel has been finalised and the franchise is looking forward to welcoming the new season, in which the team has pledged to display a much better game-play.
Reich is a well known quarterback, who started his professional coaching career a few years ago.
In 2008, he was a part of Indianapolis Colts’ offensive coaching staff. In 2009/2010, he served as quarterbacks’ coach for Colts and the franchise appointed him as wide receivers’ coach last season.
The recently concluded NFL season saw one of the worst starts from the Cardinals. The team went on to lose six straight games after winning its first game.
However, Arizona registered an impressive comeback by winning seven of its last nine games, and finished the season with eight victories and eight defeats after being ranked at the second spot in the National Football Conference (NFC) West division ranking
table.
Reich’s appointment has come after an ‘impressive recommendation’ by Colts’ general manager, Bill Polian, who called Cardinals’ coach, Ken Whisenhunt, and advocated Reich’s skills.
“We wanted to make sure we had the right mix and what gave us the best chance of keeping what we developed over the last nine games,” Whisenhunt said.
Reich said after his appointment that if the players are willing to work hard better results would be generated.
He said:
“The key is the players. They want to get better. If you get a guy who has talent and wants to get better, they will develop.”
On the other hand, McNulty is also getting ready for his new position.
Arizona has Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and Richard Bartel as its quarterbacks.
Kolb and Skelton got more chances to play in the regular season as the former, who is the starter, was sidelined after injury.
The problem for Cardinals’ quarterbacks remained their inaccuracy. In almost all the games, at least one interception was thrown.
McNulty wants the quarterbacks to improve their performance. He said:
“Everybody is in agreement that after the last two years, we need better play at the quarterback position. I think that’s pretty much the directive of the organisation at this point.”
McNulty also refrained from telling who the starting quarterback would be in the next season and said that the best performer would certainly get a chance.
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