Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Cardinals' coaching search enters fourth week

TEMPE, Ariz. -- And then there was one.

Just like in 2013, when the Arizona Cardinals last searched for a head coach, they’re the last team to be looking to fill their coaching vacancy. That year, the Cardinals hired Bruce Arians, who retired on Jan. 1 after five seasons and a franchise-record 50 wins.

The Cardinals can begin their next step toward replacing Arians as soon as Monday now that the conference championship games are over. However, with the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots advancing to Super Bowl LII, three of the Cardinals’ remaining six candidates can’t officially be hired until after the game.

Any of the other three can be hired at any time.

The Cardinals are expected to request a second interview with Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, who reported Sunday morning that Flores would hire former Lions coach Jim Caldwell as his offensive coordinator if Flores got the Cardinals’ job.

Arizona could still request second interviews with Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

All three coaches can interview with the Cardinals again anytime until Sunday. Any request for a second interview, however, could be denied by the coach’s current team during the lead-up to the Super Bowl.

The Cardinals conducted second interviews on Friday with Atlanta Falcons special-teams coordinator Keith Armstrong and Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

The only one of the six remaining candidates to not have a second interview who hasn’t been reportedly linked to another job opening and isn’t still in the playoffs is Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher.

If Bettcher is hired, he’s planning on hiring former Chargers head coach Mike McCoy as offensive coordinator and former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano as defensive coordinator, according to a source. However, the longer the Cardinals’ search goes, the more uncertain McCoy’s addition to the Cardinals’ staff becomes, the source said.

Two other coaches who were interviewed by the Cardinals, Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, have been reportedly linked to the Lions’ and Giants’ openings, respectively. A third, Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, publicly declined a second interview with Arizona.

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