Arizona Cardinals to announce 'one of the young guys' as DC next week

The Arizona Cardinals know who their next defensive coordinator will be. They just aren't saying yet. ESPN's Josh Weinfuss wrote that head coach Bruce Arians told ESPN.com the decision has been made and the announcement would come next week after the Super Bowl.

When Arians was on ESPN's "NFL Insiders," he gave a bit of a hint as to who it would be. "The defensive coordinator will come off our staff," Arians said during the appearance on the show (via AZCardinals.com). "It'll be one of the young guys. And we'll bring in some guys to help him."

The name that keeps coming up lately is outside linebackers coach James Bettcher. He is young in coaching terms at 36 years old.

The other name that was reported as a possibility is defensive backs coach Nick Rapone, but he has been a coach as long as Bettcher has been alive. Rapone wouldn't exactly qualify as "one of the young guys."

Arians did also rule out Dick LeBeau, citing the distance from his family if he were to come to Arizona. Arians said he "had a lot of interest" in bringing in LeBeau.

The name Mike Nolan came up in recent weeks, but Mike Jurecki reported Monday Nolan isn't on the team's radar now.

Arizona currently has vacancies at defensive coordinator, linebackers coach (vacated by Mike Caldwell, who left to join Todd Bowles' staff and be his assistant head coach. Arizona also has an opening at defensive backs assistant coach, as Ryan Slowik also left to join Bowles with the Jets after his contract expired.

Promoting Bettcher would also mean there would be a vacancy at outside linebackers coach.

Arizona is expected to announce some hirings for position coaches as well.