Ken Whisenhunt

NFL PlayerCoach
Color=#990000
fontcolor=#FFFFFF


DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1962|2|26
Birthplace=flagicon|USA Augusta, Georgia
Position=Head coach, Tight end
College=Georgia Tech
DraftedYear=1985
DraftedRound=12 / Pick 313
Career Highlights=y
RegularRecord=10-9-0
PlayoffRecord=0-0
Record=11-10-0
player=yes
DatabaseFootball=WHISEKEN01
PFR=WhisKe00
PFRCoach=WhisKe0
years=1985-1988
1989-1990
1991-1993
teams=Atlanta Falcons
Washington Redskins
New York Jets
coach=yes
coachingyears=1995-1996

1997-1998

1999

2000

2001-2003

2004-2006

2007-"present"
coachingteams=Vanderbilt University
(special teams & TE coach)
Baltimore Ravens
(tight ends coach)
Cleveland Browns
(special teams coach)
New York Jets
(tight ends coach)
Pittsburgh Steelers
(tight ends coach)
Pittsburgh Steelers
(offensive coordinator)
Arizona Cardinals
(head coach)

Kenneth "Ken" Moore Whisenhunt (born February 28, 1962 in Augusta, Georgia) is the American football head coach of the Arizona Cardinals NFL football team. He is known for his well engineered offensive plays, including the success he had with the Pittsburgh Steelers in his 3 years as their offensive coordinator under Bill Cowher and winning Super Bowl XL during the 2005 season.

Playing career

Whisenhunt played college football at Georgia Tech (1980-84), [cite news|first=William|last=Bretherton|url=http://www.nique.net/issues/2006-09-01/sports/2|title=Humble start for Whisenhunt|work=The Technique|date=2006-09-01|accessdate=2007-03-28] where he majored in Civil Engineering. During his senior season, he was an honorable mention All-American. He also finished first team all-ACC during his final two college seasons.

Whisenhunt's career as a player included 4 years (1985-88) as a tight end with the Atlanta Falcons, who drafted him in the twelfth round, and then spells with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets. He retired from the league in 1993 after nine seasons in which he was mostly known as a blocking back.

Coaching career

Early career

He began his coaching career at Vanderbilt University, where he coached special teams, tight ends and H-backs for the Commodores from 1995-96. In 1997, he returned to the NFL as the tight ends coach for the Baltimore Ravens. Whisenhunt was a transient in his early years in the league, moving to the staff of the Cleveland Browns in 1999 and to the New York Jets the following season.

Pittsburgh Steelers

In 2001, Whisenhunt was hired by the Steelers to coach their tight ends. He was able to develop players such as Mark Bruener and Jay Riemersma, both considered past their prime, into excellent blocking backs. He took over the role of offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh for the 2004 season after Mike Mularkey became the head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Whisenhunt had instant success in his role. While Mularkey was known for creating flashy trick players, Whisenhunt became more of a cautious innovator, whose well-timed trick plays contrasted the conservative Pittsburgh run game.

Whisenhunt's most famous moment is the trick play he called in Super Bowl XL. With Pittsburgh leading 14-10 over the Seattle Seahawks, Whisenhunt called a wide receiver reverse pass (Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward, the only TD pass thrown by a WR in Super Bowl history) that allowed Pittsburgh to pull away.

Arizona Cardinals

On January 14, 2007 the Arizona Cardinals hired Whisenhunt as their new head coach, with a contract to receive an average of $2.5 million annually. [ [http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/0228cards0228.html Whisenhunt to make $2.5 million ] ]

Whisenhunt had also interviewed for the head coaching position with the Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins. He was previously interviewed to be the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in February 2006, but he pulled out of talks before an offer could be made. [ [http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/preview;jsessionid=4264059C0054F0150445F956C7444AC6?game_id=29464&displayPage=tab_preview&season=2007&week=PRE1 NFL Game Center: Preview - Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders - 2007 1 ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.azcardinals.com/team/staff_detail.php?PRKey=158 Official page on Arizona Cardinals site]