By Bruce Arians
Fox Sports Arizona
Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will be introduced as the Arizona Cardinals new head coach on Friday.
The Cardinals confirmed the hiring in a release Thursday night. Arians, who will receive a four-year contract with a club option for a fifth season, will be introduced at a 1 p.m.
Arians interviewed with the Cardinals on Thursday, and when he sat down at the media podium afterward, the vibe was noticeably different.
The first four candidates were a varying mixture of youth, bravado, and energy. Arians, 60, displayed wisdom, humor, insight and a quiet confidence born of years of experience. Maybe that’s why the Cardinals settled on Arians as their next head coach, ending a two-and-a-half week search since Ken Whisenhunt was fired on Dec. 31. (He was hired as offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers.)
While it will be his first NFL head coaching gig after about two decades as an assistant, he did serve an apprenticeship this season with the Colts, serving as interim head coach while Chuck Pagano underwent treatment for leukemia.
