Judge on Tomlin
TAMPA, Fla. -- A bird in the hand -- literally -- was better than one possibly waiting in the bush for Ken Whisenhunt.
In the winter of 2007, Whisenhunt was a hot offensive coordinator. He had helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win the Super Bowl in 2005, and was one of the candidates to replace departing Steelers coach Bill Cowher after the 2006 season.
It was a job he wanted.
He just didn't want to wait for it.
The Steelers were moving slowly in picking Cowher's successor, so when the Arizona Cardinals told him to make a decision on their job, instead of waiting to see if he would be the next coach of the Steelers, Whisenhunt decided to take the Arizona job.
Right move. He probably wouldn't have been Pittsburgh's choice anyway.
Two years later, Whisenhunt has the Cardinals in the Super Bowl. They will face the same Steelers team Sunday in Super Bowl XLIII that he could have been coaching.
"It's special for me to face that team," Whisenhunt said. "Having been on that side, having seen the fan support and the passion. It makes it special to be able to play against them. I have nothing but respect for the Steelers organization."
When Cowher resigned, Whisenhunt interviewed for the Steelers job. He thought he had a good chance to get it. Offensive line coach Russ Grimm, also a candidate, thought he was in the mix as well.
But when the process dragged on, Whisenhunt was faced with a tough decision. Take his chances in Pittsburgh or take the job in Arizona. The Cardinals were then a franchise portrayed as losers, unwilling to spend. They had been to one playoff since moving to Arizona in 1988.
The Steelers, on the other hand, were the model franchise, a team that had five Super Bowl rings, a loyal fan base backing them up.
"As much respect that I had for the Steelers, I had to do what was best for me and that was to take the Arizona job," Whisenhunt said. "It just felt right doing it."
There was some talk that Grimm would get the Pittsburgh job when Whisenhunt picked the Cardinals. There was one report that he was even named the coach. Those in the know say it was close. Word is the Steelers backed away in part because of some league pressure to hire a minority. That minority was Mike Tomlin.
It has proven to be a good hire -- Tomlin is a heck of a coach. The Steelers have been in the playoffs in each of his two seasons and he's one victory away from bringing the sixth title to Pittsburgh.
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| Ken Whisenhunt brought some Pittsburgh toughness to Arizona. (AP) |
When the Cardinals arrived Monday, Whisenhunt was asked if there was any sting from not getting the Pittsburgh job. He shot that down in a hurry.
"There was never any sting leaving the Steelers," he said. "I was excited about the opportunity to come coach for the Arizona Cardinals. We felt like we had a good opportunity to be successful here. I'm very grateful for my time with the Steelers, for the time I got to spend with Mr. Rooney, Coach Cowher, and all the people in that organization. I don't have any bitter feelings or any sting of disappointment with that.
"Everything that was said about the heir apparent to Coach Cowher was not anything that involved me. That was other people speculating on that. Once again, I was very honored to have coached for that organization and to have interviewed for the head coaching job there."
In Arizona, Whisenhunt has instilled a toughness that was badly needed. He brought that Pittsburgh mindset to the desert.
"I think he is a players' coach, but at the same time, he is very firm in what he believes," safety Adrian Wilson said. "A lot of guys take to heart what he says because he has been at the top, he has been a player and he understands what players go through during the week leading into the game.
"He is an understanding coach and I think that is what everyone likes about him. He is very stern. He really wants his team to be disciplined and tough. That is the way he came up. He is trying to install all of that in us right now."
Whisenhunt is doing it differently than expected. While they are more physical for sure, they also throw the football a lot, which is something you wouldn't expect from somebody who coordinated the offense in Pittsburgh.
What fans might forget is that when the Steelers won the Super Bowl after the 2005 season, with Whisenhunt calling plays, they did so by throwing the ball early in playoff victories against Indianapolis and Denver. They ran it late when they had the lead to preserve those victories, a throw-to-score, run-to-win style.
Now it's Kurt Warner throwing to Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, which means Whisenhunt has adjusted the way he plays. It's pass most of the time and run a little.
Changing his style is a tribute to Whisenhunt as a coach. Most coaches are inflexible, trying to fit their players into what they do instead of fitting what they do to the players.
"You have to adapt to your personnel," Whisenhunt said. "What we do with our offense is playing to the strengths of our players, playing to their skill set. We have a great quarterback and great receivers. It makes sense for us to throw it."
It's far different than what they do in Pittsburgh. That team is like the fans that follow them, tough, blue-collar and nasty.
Whisenhunt would have worked as Cowher's replacement playing that style. Why? He's a good coach, no matter where he's coaching and he's proven he can fit in anywhere.
But as he said last week, things work out for a reason.
That bird in the hand was worth more than he could have imagined.
Chuck Dee 
