Arizona Fires Clancy Pendergast

by Doug Farrar on Feb 6, 2009 6:30 PM PST

Wait, what?

Interesting rumor has current Steelers linebackers coach (and former Seahawks 'backer) Keith Butler as the favorite to replace him. Sounds like a "I want my guy" move -- not sure it makes too much sense under any other conditions.

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This is an odd one to be sure.

Pretty rare to fire your defensive coordinator after a Super Bowl run.

"Hey, guess what? Nobody cares who would win in a crazy fantasy fist-fight between Anne Frank and Lizzie Borden." The Monarch

by crushedoptimist on Feb 6, 2009 7:24 PM PST reply actions

I've long been on the fence about Pendergast

His schemes often erred from creative to wacky. He made me think of an unskilled poet pouring on the figures of speech, but missing message, music and voice.

by John Morgan on Feb 6, 2009 7:26 PM PST reply actions

I thought his schemes were silly at times.

Plus, his defense choked in the biggest game of their lives.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Feb 6, 2009 7:30 PM PST reply actions

And his defense played very undisciplined.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Feb 6, 2009 7:55 PM PST reply actions

do you suppose pendergast is...agast?

sorry

by B.B.Finnegan on Feb 6, 2009 9:03 PM PST reply actions

I would assume that this is more of a 9-7 team decision...

than a Super Bowl loser decision. In which case it’s almost admirable that Whisenhunt would still be willing to make wholesale changes to try and improve his team. The new DC is going to have a lot of good talent to work with, as Arizona has the makings of an extremely talented defense, depending (of course) on contracts/holdouts/etc, but at least they have the money to pay up.

"Hey, guess what? Nobody cares who would win in a crazy fantasy fist-fight between Anne Frank and Lizzie Borden." The Monarch

by crushedoptimist on Feb 6, 2009 9:12 PM PST reply actions

I would wand Pendergast on my sideline

discipline or no, he got guys to play. This defense has troubled Seattle greatly the past three years. I would love to see some of his creativity in the ‘new’ “West Cost” defense.

The Cardinals, in my humble opinion, just got easier to beat.

It is what it is...

by kidder95 on Feb 6, 2009 9:41 PM PST reply actions

damn saki

wand = want

It is what it is...

by kidder95 on Feb 6, 2009 9:42 PM PST up reply actions

Saki?

Wow.

by VBJohnson on Feb 6, 2009 11:06 PM PST up reply actions

I thought Pendergast deserved to stay

He turned the defense around in the playoffs

by Brendan Scolari on Feb 7, 2009 1:16 AM PST reply actions

Not really

They weren’t statistically any better in the playoffs than the regular season with the exception of the turnover category. They went from averaging 1.8 turnovers/game in the regular season to 4 in the playoffs.

by Nate Dogg on Feb 7, 2009 11:08 AM PST up reply actions

Considering...

…that Arizona’s defense, with all the momentum the offense acquired by taking the lead in the 4th quarter, allowed Pittsburgh’s offense to drive the length of the field with more ease and efficiency than they mustered all game to score the game winning touchdown (insane Holmes catch notwithstanding) with seconds left to play, I’m not terribly surprised the guy in charge of that defense was fired. If any part of the Cardinals’ Super Bowl run was a fluke, it was the defense. And when it mattered, when it counted the most, they sucked HARD. Imagine if that had happened to the Hawks …I would have been irate watching that. Since it was the Cardinals, I was simultaneously disappointed and vaguely amused…

Also…saki? Seriously? I just threw up in my mouth a little :)

by sev79 on Feb 7, 2009 1:20 AM PST reply actions

If you've watched Steelers games this year,

that was kind of a theme for them. Offense that struggled throughout the game, driving down and scoring at the end. If they were not already ahead. If they were, then the O still did nothing against good defenses.

I remember that happening against the Ravens, I was rooting so hard for the Ravens in that game.

by cashless on Feb 7, 2009 5:23 PM PST up reply actions

too bad for the Cardinals that the best DC candidates are already off the market

Seahawks fans should be happy that while other teams were hiring head coaches, we were hiring assistants.

Now along come the Cardinals, picking from the leftovers.

by Mr Fish on Feb 7, 2009 1:03 PM PST reply actions

Clancy Pendergast is such an awesome name.

If Wisenhunt has someone hand picked for the job then I guess it’s not a big deal, but if Arizona ends up in a long search for a new DC then it could cause some problems.

by MFAN on Feb 7, 2009 1:17 PM PST reply actions