Cardinals Close to Tabbing Green As Head Coach

[Walter Cronkite]

Dennis Green is reportedly set to become the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals knocked the Minnesota Vikings out of the playoffs. Now they have apparently hired the last coach to take the Vikings to the postseason.

ESPN is reporting that the Cardinals have reached an agreement with Dennis Green to become their next coach.
According to the report, Green will receive a four-year, $11 million deal. He also is expected to have considerable control over football operations.

Green would come to the Cardinals with a proven track record, having posted a 97-62 record in 10 seasons as coach with the Vikings.

In Minnesota, Green reached the NFC championship game twice, made the playoffs eight times and guided the franchise to four division titles. He was forced out with one game remaining in the 2001 season with the Vikings at 5-10, the worst record of his tenure. Minnnesota has not made the playoffs since 2000.

Green's tenure in Minnesota also was tumultuous at times. There were allegations of sexual harassment, and he once threatened to sue some of the team's owners for part of the franchise. He also had to deal with the death of tackle Korey Stringer during training camp in the summer of 2000.

If Green does land in Arizona, he would be part of a team that pulled off an amazing comeback in the final regular season game. The Cardinals knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs by scoring 12 points in the final 1:54 en route to a stunning 18-17 victory.

But the miracle against the Vikings is one of the few things that have gone right for the Cardinals, who have made the playoffs just once since moving to the desert in 1988.

The Cardinals went just 4-12 this past season, the ninth time they have reached double-digits in losses since 1989. Arizona owns the third pick in April's draft.

Green would become the Cardinals' sixth coach since they moved and he would replace Dave McGinnis, who was fired after posting a woeful 17-40 record in four-plus seasons.

Green, who spent the last two years as an analyst for ESPN, also reportedly was a candidate for the Oakland Raiders' job.

The hiring would make Green the fourth black coach in the NFL, joining Herman Edwards of the New York Jets, Marvin Lewis of Cincinnati and Tony Dungy of Indianapolis.