Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals remain in the hunt for a new head coach. They began with a long list of names, and a few took jobs elsewhere or were not invited back for another interview.
One of the names that remain is Mike LaFleur, the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator. He is fairly young at 38 years old, but has five years of experience as an offensive coordinator.
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The Cardinals fanbase and a lot of media outlets have expressed interest in hiring an offensive-minded guy to head the franchise instead of going with a coach to lead the defense. Currently, Arizona’s defense is in pretty good shape and certainly needs a piece here and there, but a qualified DC could come in and set up shop rather quickly with the talent on that side of the ball.
The Rams are in this year’s NFC Championship Game. Last weekend, they defeated the #2 seed the Chicago Bears and had a great showing with the offense. No penalties, no turnovers, and had plenty of good drives which produced points.
That is the result of LaFleur’s efforts. But who is he? What are his qualifications?
LaFleur grew up in the small town of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, nestled in the bullseye of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. To know Mike LaFleur, you have to be acquainted with his family.
His parents are Kristi and Denny LaFleur. His father, Denny, played linebacker at Central Michigan, which won the D-2 National Championship in 1974, while his mother was one of the team’s cheerleaders. Denny held the school’s record for most career tackles.
Denny then transitioned into teaching and became an assistant football coach for his alma mater. That lasted 20 years. Kristi was a physical education and health teacher who coached track and cheerleading. At Central Michigan, Denny had coached practically every position on defense. The couple has now been married for 51 years.
Kristi’s father, Bob Barringer, was also a football coach at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan. So, football was more than just a sport in her family. Barringer just happened to be a Central Michigan fan. Kristi and Deeny got married in their senior year at CMU.
Mike’s brother is Matt, currently the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He played quarterback for most of his life and went to Western Michigan and then Saginaw Valley State. After going undrafted in the 2003 NFL draft, Matt signed with the Omaha Beef of the “National Indoor Football League.” The following season, he played for the Billings Outlaws of the same league.
Growing up, brothers Matt and Mike, who is the younger sibling, competed in the AAU basketball circuit. But their lives were football with their dad as a coach and their mom coaching the cheer squad. Both brothers were great kids to coach because they had such an intensity about the way they played.
Both boys knew that one day they would also be football...
