It looks like the Arizona Cardinals have finally decided who will be at the helm of their team heading into the 2013 season. Bruce Arians was offered the position of head coach out in the desert, and the team confirmed on Thursday night that the Arians hire is official.
The @azcardinals have named Bruce Arians as their new head coach.#AZCards #nfl
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 18, 2013
New @azcardinals HC Bruce Arians takes congratulatory call from @larryfitzgerald in Belize twitpic.com/bw3ldp
— MarkDalton (@CardsMarkD) January 18, 2013
Adam Schefter notes it's a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth year.
Arians took over for Chuck Pagano this year in his first season as offensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts. He fared well as interim head coach, leading rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and a team that was counted out well before the season began to a playoff birth and an 11-5 record.
Assuming everything goes as planned, this will be Arians first stint as a head coach in the NFL. He served with several different franchises throughout his lengthy career, but never as the man in charge of any team.