Green fired after three losing seasons in desert
By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
January 1, 2007
AP - Jan 1, 12:22 pm EST
More Photos
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Dennis Green was fired as coach of the Arizona Cardinals on Monday after he failed to turn the downtrodden franchise into a winner in three seasons on the job.
Green was dismissed one day after the Cardinals concluded a 5-11 season with a 27-20 loss at San Diego. He finished with a 16-32 record at Arizona. The Cardinals will pay $2.5 million to buy out the final year of his contract.
He was the seventh coach the Cardinals have had since the franchise moved to Arizona in 1988. Green's three teams in Arizona went 6-10, 5-11 and 5-11. He has a career NFL coaching record of 124-115.
The coach made no reference of his job status when he met with the players briefly Monday morning.
"He told us how lucky we are to be here and have such a great job and play such a great game," quarterback Matt Leinart said, "and just to know that we're all professionals and we all can play in this league and have a good offseason. That's about it."
ADVERTISEMENT
Less than two hours later, the Cardinals put out a news release announcing Green's dismissal.
Green's mission was to turn around the perpetually losing Cardinals, who have had one winning season since 1984, and put a winner into the new stadium when it opened this season.
The stadium, the signing of running back Edgerrin James and the drafting of Leinart stirred up great interest in the team, which sold out every home game this year.
But after a season-opening home victory over San Francisco, the Cardinals lost eight in a row and quickly fell out of the playoff hunt. The skid included close home losses to St. Louis, Kansas City and, most memorably on a Monday night, to Chicago.
Green demoted offensive coordinator Keith Rowen after six games and replaced him with Mike Kruczek, one of many shakeups on his staff during his time with the Cardinals. Leinart replaced Kurt Warner after five games and showed great promise.
However, the team's fortunes didn't turn around until the coach finally settled on who should play on the offensive line. Arizona won four of its last seven, but it was too little, too late.
But Leinart said the Cardinals have momentum going regardless of who is the coach.
"I think we proved enough this year what talent we have and the capabilities that team can do," the rookie said. "I feel like next year is going to be an even better year, no matter what."
Green was out of coaching after his decade with the Minnesota Vikings ended in 2001. He was lured back by a four-year, $10 million contract and the belief that Arizona was on the brink of becoming a successful team.
He made several moves that seemed to backfire, beginning with the abrupt release of offensive lineman Pete Kendall on the eve of his first training camp. In his first season, Green benched quarterback Josh McCown for Shaun King even though the team had won three of its last four. By the time McCown got the job back, the Cardinals had lost three straight.
