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Mike McCoy, Al Holcomb Named Coordinators

Former Chargers coach will run offense; Jeff Rodgers tabbed for special teams

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The Cardinals have hired Al Holcomb (left) and Mike McCoy as their defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively.


Steve Wilks comes into his job with the Cardinals without NFL head coaching experience, but his new offensive coordinator does.

The Cardinals officially hired former Chargers coach Mike McCoy Friday to lead their offense, a crucial piece on a staff given Wilks' defensive roots. The team also announced the hiring of Al Holcomb as their defensive coordinator and Jeff Rodgers as the special teams coordinator. Holcomb was Carolina's linebackers coach last season, Rodgers was the Bears special teams coordinator.

The Cardinals actually interviewed McCoy in 2013 for the head coaching vacancy that eventually went to Bruce Arians. Then the Broncos' offensive coordinator, McCoy instead became the head coach of the then-San Diego Chargers.

McCoy, 45, went 27-37 in four seasons before he was fired after 2016. He returned to the Broncos as offensive

coordinator in 2017 but was let go in late November after 10 games, with Denver struggling at quarterback in part because of injuries.

Before that, McCoy had good success not only with veteran Philip Rivers in San Diego but also making various quarterbacks work during his initial stint with the Broncos. Under McCoy, the Broncos created a solid passing game with Kyle Orton, managed to win a playoff game with Tim Tebow, and then transitioned into a prolific Peyton Manning season in 2012.

He also was on the staff of the Carolina Panthers from 2000 to 2008, coaching wide receivers, then quarterbacks and eventually also earning the title of passing game coordinator, helping turn Jake Delhomme into a playoff quarterback.

A college quarterback at Utah – McCoy led the Utes to a win over the University of Arizona in the 1994 Freedom Bowl – but undrafted into the NFL, McCoy had stints with the Broncos, Packers, 49ers and Seahawks, as well as playing in the CFL.

Holcomb, 47, spent the last five seasons as the Panthers' linebackers coach working with Wilks. Carolina had a pair of the best linebackers in the league with Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis. Before that, he was a defensive assistant with the New York Giants from 2009-2012, originally getting into the NFL through the league's Minority Internship Program following 14 years as a college coach.

Rodgers, 40, spent the last three seasons as the special teams coordinator in Chicago, the four before that in the same positon with Denver, and two before that coaching special teams in Carolina.

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