Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph calls a play against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter in Glendale, Ariz. Sept. 19, 2021. Cardinals Vs Vikings Michael Chow via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Cardinals Predicted to Land Familiar Face in HC Hunt

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Jan 12, 2026 4:30 PM ET

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals are one of eight NFL teams in search for a new head coach, and it's anybody's guess as to how the coaching cycle will shake out from top to bottom.

It's still early in the process for each team, though the Cardinals have requested to interview ten candidates on top of holding preliminary phone conversations with free agent coach John Harbaugh.

Whether the Cardinals actually get Harbaugh in for an interview remains to be seen, though Arizona will ultimately have to bring somebody on to turn things around after three failed seasons under prior leader Jonathan Gannon.

Bleacher Report believes the Cardinals will look to bring back familiar face Vance Joseph.

What B/R Said on Vance Joseph

"The Cardinals may have to wait for other dominoes to fall before getting their guy, but that doesn't mean that they can't land a quality candidate. The prediction here is that they end up with a candidate who may not be available soon anyway," wrote Kristopher Knox.

"According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Arizona plans to interview Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Denver, of course, is still in the playoffs as the AFC's No. 1 seed, and it has a championship-caliber defense led by Joseph.

"While Cardinals fans might not love the idea of hiring another defensive coach after Gannon, Joseph would check a lot of boxes. He has prior head-coaching experience (Broncos), and he has ties to Arizona.

"Joseph served as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator for four seasons under Kliff Kingsbury."

Would Vance Joseph Be Right Call?

That would be a hard sell.

Sure, Joseph has prior head coach experience. Sure, he has familiarity with owner Michael Bidwill. He even interviewed for the opening spot before Gannon ultimately got it after 2022.

However, that doesn't make him a top candidate for the job, and quite frankly the Cardinals need an injection of fresh faces in the building as clearly the last two coaching staffs simply haven't panned out.

Joseph's done a strong job with Denver's defense, though he's far from the sole reason the Broncos have found success.

Arizona knows what Joseph is about, but in order to get back in the postseason while also bringing a sense of excitement back to the fan base, Bidwill needs to explore other avenues.