ESPN: Six potential replacements for Todd Bowles

https://spikedkoolaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/dick-lebeau-paul-hogan.jpg 835 557 nofriendo nofriendo https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/abeb214622c94f997734bcefa57cffab?s=96&d=mm&r=pg January 14, 2015 January 14, 2015

By Josh Weinfuss | ESPN.com

TEMPE, Ariz. — The New York Jets got what they wanted — Todd Bowles — and now it’s time for the Arizona Cardinals to look for his replacement at defensive coordinator.

Bowles agreed to a four-year contract with the Jets on Tuesday night, giving Cardinals coach Bruce Arians an opportunity to make his first hire, aside from strength and conditioning coaches, since building his initial staff in 2013. Throughout 2014, Arians talked about trusting Bowles with the defense, to the point where they’d talk once or twice a week about that week’s defensive game plan, Arians said.

Who will Arians turn to next? He said after the season that he wanted to start a coaching tree and that Bowles would be the right person to start it. So who’s the next branch? The Cardinals have played a 3-4 for the past six seasons, so finding a coordinator who’ll continue that scheme may be a priority for Arians.

Here’s a list of six potential replacements for Bowles:

Dick LeBeau — The favorite to replace Bowles, except the 77-year-old may not want to venture as far west as Arizona and leave his family in Ohio. LeBeau and Arians worked together on Pittsburgh’s staff from 2004-11, meaning he also is familiar with offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin, who was a Steelers’ offensive assistant from 2007-11. LeBeau is known for running a 3-4 scheme, so there wouldn’t be a transitional period for the Cardinals’ defense. His age wouldn’t be a factor considering the Cardinals have two coaches over the age of 70 — Tom Pratt and Tom Moore — and one more, Larry Zierlein, who’ll turn 70 in July.

Nick Rapone — Currently the Cardinals’ defensive backs coach, Rapone, 58, has defensive coordinator experience. He held the position at four different colleges — Temple, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Delaware — before joining Arians’ staff in 2013. The two worked together at Temple from 1983-88 and Rapone coached Bowles with the Owls.

James Bettcher — The youngest on the list at 36, Bettcher has been the Cardinals’ outside linebackers coach the past two seasons. He’s proved this season his ability to work with personnel issues when Arizona was without John Abraham, Matt Shaughnessy and Alex Okaforat some point throughout the season. He has Arians’ trust. Bettcher spent 2012 as the special assistant to the head coach in Indianapolis and Arians brought him to Arizona.

Wade Phillips — Out of work since 2013, Phillips, 67, has been a defensive coordinator and head coach since 1981. He runs a 3-4 scheme, so, again, it would be a smooth transition for the Cardinals’ defense. His defenses have been ranked in the top 10 against the run in 10 of Phillips’ last 15 seasons.

Vic Fangio — Fangio would only be an option if he’s let out of his contract with San Francisco, but there’s quite a bit of uncertainty if that will happen. Arians and Fangio were on the Indianapolis Colts‘ staff in 1999 and 2000, when Arians was starting to mold Peyton Manningand Fangio was the defensive coordinator. They’re also linked by Chuck Pagano, who was on Baltimore’s staff with Fangio from 2008-10. Arians has faced Fangio the last two years, going 1-3 against the Niners since becoming Arizona’s head coach in 2013. Fangio has been a 3-4 coach for a long time, so the transition would be minimal.

Mike Caldwell — Currently the Cardinals’ linebackers coach, Caldwell may not be an option if he joins Bowles in New York as his defensive coordinator. If he stays in Arizona, Caldwell would bring not just two years of experience under Bowles in Arizona but the 2012 season they spent together on Philadelphia’s staff. Of any coach, he knows Bowles’ scheme, which worked for the Cardinals, the best.