After five seasons, Arizona Cardinals head coach has done about all you could expect. He turned around the culture of the franchise and led the team to the Super Bowl. Only one season has he been under .500. He holds the team record for victories. He helped rally the team from 1-6 to finish 8-8 in 2011.
However, according to Pro Football Weekly, there are 20 other coaches in the league with more job security.
Whisenhunt has made the Cardinals relevant, leading them to their first Super Bowl (and within an eyelash of a victory), although the post-Kurt Warner record - 13-19 - is a bit shaky. Still, to this point, he has built up enough credibility and accomplishments to keep his job, and the team's rally from a 1-6 start to an 8-8 finish last season showed he never lost the locker room. Those are important factors. But how patient will the Cardinals be long term? Whisenhunt's contract runs through 2013, with a team option for ‘14. The coach invested heavily in QB Kevin Kolb, and the team's pursuit of free agent Peyton Manning was telling. Even though Kolb only has had nine games with the team, some believe he never will be the answer.
What Whisenhunt needs to do to keep his job in 2013: He must handle the quarterback situation with his head, not his heart, and that could lead to benching the well-paid Kolb for either John Skelton or, down the road, Ryan Lindley. Amid this QB situation, Whisenhunt can't lose too much ground in the NFC West. He's the longest-tenured coach in the division for a reason: because he's good at what he does. But another losing season, especially one with 10 or more losses, could end his run in Arizona.
Based on the list, it seems that every single new coach is in a better situation than Whiz. While you tend to cut some slack to new coaches, I'm not sure they have more job security. Certainly, any coach could lose their job at any time, but I don't think that Pete Carroll or Romeo Crennel have more job security. The 2011 finish is quite the way for Whiz to prove his worth.
Is this list accurate? Do you think Whiz is on the hot seat? Should he be higher or lower on the list?
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