Steeltown's Influence On the Arizona Cardinals' Coaching Staff

As one might expect from a tight end-turned-H-back, Ken Whisenhunt has a fondness for the running game. In his first year as offensive coordinator of the Steelers in 2004, he improved their running game from 31st in the league to 2nd.

However, the man who was once second on the all-time receiving yards list at Georgia Tech also has a fondness for the passing game, a statement Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, and Larry Fitzgerald would all agree with. With the departure of offensive coordinator Todd Haley to the Chiefs, Whisenhunt will take on more responsibility offensively this season.

Whisenhunt’s chief lieutenant on the offensive side of the ball is another former Pittsburgh assistant, Russ Grimm. Grimm was an all-pro lineman with the Washington Redskins for 11 years that saw him make four consecutive Pro Bowls. He also was a member of the famous “Hogs” offensive line that starred for the Redskins throughout the 1980s.

Grimm was a teammate of Whisenhunt for both the 1989 and 1990 seasons. Grimm rose through the coaching ranks with the Redskins, beginning in 1992, right after his retirement, debuting as tight ends coach.

He moved over to his more natural position coaching the offensive line in time for the 1997 season before leaving the Redskins in 2001 to become the offensive line coach of the Steelers. Grimm’s son, Chad, is also on the coaching stuff as an offensive assistant.

Mike Miller, who will be in charge of the passing game after the departure of Todd Haley, assists Grimm on the offensive side of the ball. Miller also spent time with the Steelers, as an intern in 1994 and 1995, and then later as an offensive assistant from 1999 to 2003.

Despite the prevalence of former Steelers’ assistants on the Cardinals’ coaching staff, their offense in very little way resembles the Steelers. While the Steelers have always focused on establishing the run first, second, and sometimes even third, the Cardinals seem to have kept the offensive line proficiency of the Steelers’ offensive line but combined it with their own potent passing attack.

In terms of play on the field, defensively is where you can most see the Steelers’ influence. After firing Clancy Pendergast following the close of the 2008 season, Ken Whisenhunt promoted Bill Davis. Though Davis’ earlier performance as 49ers' defensive coordinator was unsuccessful, he spent three years in Pittsburgh under Bill Cowher from 1992-1994. Davis, interestingly, played on the offensive side of the ball in college, as a quarterback and receiver for the Cincinnati Bearcats in the mid-1980s.

Davis has earned a reputation in his career as a specialist in working with linebackers, and in 1996, he coached Kevin Greene and Lamar Lathon to finishing first and second in the NFL in sacks as the Carolina Panthers made it all the way to the NFC Championship game.

Davis was promoted from linebackers coach, where he had spent the past two seasons mentoring players like Karlos Dansby, Gerald Hayes, and Chike Okeafor. It remains to be seen if Davis can shift Arizona to a productive 3-4 from the mixed packages the Cardinals ran last year (Davis was criticized in San Francisco for the same thing), but his familiarity with the personnel is an asset in this position.

Davis has been around the game his entire life, as his father spent 13 years working in the NFL. Davis was a ball boy for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins during his childhood, and is now in his 18th season as an NFL assistant, despite being just 43 years old. Davis’ play-calling this year will be under a great deal of scrutiny, as the team is counting on improvement on the defensive side of the ball in order to better last season’s record.