Ken Whisenhunt biography
Date of birth : 1962-02-28
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Augusta, Georgia
Nationality : American
Category : Sports
Last modified : 2022-02-28
Credited as : Football coach NFL, head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Super Bowl winnings
0 votes so far
# Became an NFL head coach for the first time when hired by Arizona on January 14, 2007. He came to the Cardinals with 10 years of experience as an NFL assistant coach and also played nine seasons in the league as a tight end/H-Back.
# After establishing himself as one of the NFL’s top head coaches in his first three seasons, was rewarded with an extension on February 25, 2010 that keeps him under contract with the Cardinals through 2013 with a team option for 2014.
# Is the first coach in franchise history with a .500 record or better in each of his first three seasons (8-8 in 2007; 9-7 in 2008; 10-6 in 2009). The Cardinals are one of just two NFL teams (Minnesota) to improve its win total each of the last three seasons.
# His 31-23 overall record through three seasons has him in fourth place on the franchise career wins list and his 4-2 postseason record is among the league leaders in winning percentage.
# Led the Cardinals to NFC West titles in 2008 and ’09, the team’s first back-to-back division crowns since 1974-75; also guided Arizona to its first NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance.
# Arizona’s 8-8 record in Whisenhunt’s first season (2007) was its best since going 9-7 in 1998.
# The memorable 2008 season was even better as Arizona secured the franchise’s first postseason appearance since ‘98 with a 9-7 mark, first division crown since ’75 thanks to a 6-0 record within the NFC West, and first home playoff game since 1947. It ended with the franchise’s first-ever conference title and Super Bowl appearance. Arizona’s 12 total wins in ’08 were the most in team history and the Cardinals won more postseason contests that January (3) than they had in their entire history (2).
# In the 54 total games played during Whisenhunt’s three seasons as head coach, the Cardinals have scored 20-or-more points in 41 of them (76%) and 30+ points in 22 (41%).
# In 2007, Arizona set a franchise record for passing TDs in a season (32) and the team’s point total of 404 was the second-highest in team history. In ’08, the Cards offense was again explosive and scored a franchise record 427 total points. They added 188 more points in the postseason, the third-highest total in NFL postseason history. The 2009 AZ offense led the NFL in red zone scoring (70.4%) as well as red zone TD efficiency (65.1).
# Before coming to AZ, Whisenhunt spent the previous six seasons with the Steelers. For the first three he was tight ends coach and then was offensive coordinator for three, helping the team earn a victory in Super Bowl XL.
# Previously coached at the pro level with the Jets (2000), Browns (1999) and Ravens (1997-98); began his coaching career in the collegiate ranks with Vanderbilt (1995-96).
# Was selected in the 12th round of the 1985 NFL Draft by Atlanta; went on to play nine NFL seasons with the Falcons (1985-88), Redskins (1989-90), and Jets (1991-93).
# Entered Georgia Tech as a walk-on and finished career ranked second on the school’s all-time receiving yardage list and fourth in career receptions; earned degree in civil engineering.
# After their ’08 Super Bowl season, the ’09 Cardinals won 10 regular season games for the first time since 1976 with six of those wins coming on the road, the most since 1963. They also became just the 3rd NFL team since 1999 to return to the postseason after finishing as the Super Bowl runner-up the previous season.
# In his three seasons as head coach, has led Arizona to a 13-5 record against NFC West opponents and the Cardinals have won twice as many playoff games under Whisenhunt (4) as they had in their postseason history prior to his arrival (2).
