When Dick LeBeau resigned from the Steelers this month, one of the first places that came to mind as a landing spot was Arizona.
Not only did LeBeau and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians work together in Pittsburgh, but defensive coordinator Todd Bowles looked like a good bet to land a head coaching job. Bowles landed that job with the Jets, but it doesn’t look like LeBeau will be his replacement in Arizona.
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reports that the Cardinals want to hire LeBeau in a “senior position” on their defensive coaching staff while promoting a current assistant coach to the coordinator spot vacated by Bowles. Somers suggests that LeBeau’s role would be similar to the one that assistant head coach Tom Moore has filled on the offensive side of the ball.
LeBeau has also been linked with the Titans, who are coached by former Steelers assistant (and Cardinals head coach, as it happens) Ken Whisenhunt.
Somers adds that Bowles is expected to bring inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell and defensive assistant Ryan Slowik with him to the Jets. That leaves outside linebackers coach James Bettcher, defensive line coach Brentson Buckner, cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross, defensive backs coach Nick Rapone and pass rush specialist Tom Pratt as in-house options for defensive coordinator. None has done the job at the NFL level, although Rapone and Pratt have decades of experience in other jobs.