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Arizona Cardinals to hire Steve Wilks as head coach

By The Sports Xchange
The Arizona Cardinals are set to hire Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks (pictured) as their new head coach. Photo courtesy of Carolina Panthers/Twitter
The Arizona Cardinals are set to hire Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks (pictured) as their new head coach. Photo courtesy of Carolina Panthers/Twitter

The Arizona Cardinals are set to hire Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks as their new head coach, according to multiple reports Monday.

The Cardinals conducted a second interview with Wilks over the weekend.

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He will replace Bruce Arians, who retired after last season. Wilks also interviewed with the Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants in the offseason.

Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson tweeted Monday after the reports of the hiring: "I LOVE IT."

This will be the first NFL head coaching assignment for Wilks, 48. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in Carolina after the 2016 season, and his defense was seventh in the league in yards allowed this season, while finishing third in sacks.

Previously, he was the Panthers' secondary coach for five seasons.

Before that, he was the secondary coach for the Los Angeles Chargers for three seasons and the defensive backs coach for the Chicago Bears for three years.

He was a coach at the college level for 11 seasons before jumping to the NFL, including going 5-6 as the head coach at Savannah State in 1999.

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The Cardinals were 8-8 last season and have to make a decision at quarterback because Carson Palmer retired. Also, veteran receiver Larry Fitzgerald is mulling his future.

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