Does the Arizona Cardinals’ lack of NFL defensive coaching experience matter?

The Cardinals have by far the youngest coaching staff in the NFC West, will it matter?

How much do years of NFL defensive coaching experience matter?

In light of the defensive leadership the Patriots received from Bill Belichick (6 Super Bowl wins) and the excellent leadership the Chiefs have received from Steve Spagnuolo (3 Super Bowl wins), plus the defensive boost the Eagles received from long-time NFL DC Vic Fangio (pictured above) in winning Super Bowl LIX over the Chiefs, it would appear that years of NFL coaching experience matter a great deal —- particularly for teams vying to win Super Bowls.

How much does it concern you that the 2025 Arizona Cardinals are by far the youngest defensive coaching staff in the NFL and the NFC West?

2025 NFC West years of NFL defensive coaching experience combined:

• ARI —- 21
• LAR --- 80
• SF --- 109
• SEA --- 88

Defensive coaches in the NFC West who have more years of experience than the entire Cardinals defensive coaches combined:

• SF —- Robert Saleh
• SF —- Gus Bradley
• SF —- Johnny Holland
• LA —- Chris Beake
• SEA —- Leslie Frazier
• SEA —- Kirk Olivadotti

It’s curious that the Cardinals had a chance to make 3 new defensive coaching hires this off-season and had a chance to add some experienced NFL coaches and yet all three coaches they hired are first-time assistant coaches at their position groups:

• DLC —- Winston DeLattiboudere (1st year NFL) —- 2024 DC/Assistant HC University of Minnesota
• OLBC —- Matt Feeney (1st year as OLBC, 4th NFL season) —-2024 assistant DBC Raiders
• ILBC —- Cristian Garcia (1st year as ILBC, 2nd NFL seasons) —-2024 assistant DBC Cowboys

What DeLattiboudere, Feeney and Garcia have in common, aside from being young, ascending coaches, is that this is the first time in their coaching careers that they are regular NFL position coaches.

The reality for the Cardinal is —- this off-season the youngest defensive coaching staff in the NFL, in filling three open assistant coach positions, got even younger.

NFC West —- Senior Defensive Assistants:

• ARI —- none
• LA —- Jimmy Lake
• SF —- Gus Bradley
• SEA —- Leslie Frazier (pictured above)

Can a young staff have some advantages?

There are some advantages to having young coaches in that the head coach and defensive coordinator can groom them just the way they want them to coach before they are tied too strictly to other systems and teaching methods. In addition, in many cases, young coaches can bring added energy and enthusiasm on a daily basis. But, as with developing players, grooming young coaches typically takes a good deal time, focus and effort.

Also, new young position coaches might often lack the gravitas that would command the respect of the veteran players in the room.

On the flip side, an argument can be made, as alluded to in yesterday’s ARI/SF Defensive Draft Pick Comparisons article...