The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly planning to begin a search for a new head coach in case current coach Bruce Arians retires at the end of the 2017 season.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported Sunday that the team's front office "is preparing" for Arians' retirement.
"Arians has not told the team he is retiring, but given his battles with cancer and his health scares in recent years, the team has discussed some contingencies in the event a coaching search is required," La Canfora wrote.
"Many close to Arians do not believe he will be back on the sidelines for 2018; he has denied the notion in the past and given no outward indication he is considering that now, but it's something team officials have discussed. As upwards of 10 teams will be looking for new coaches in January, there is a limited pool of top candidates, and teams cannot afford to be caught unprepared."
Sources told ABC15 sports director Craig Fouhy in October that Arians does indeed plan to retire at the end of the season.
The 65-year-old Arians has a 47-30-1 record during his four-plus seasons at the Cardinals' helm. He has a career 56-33-1 record as an NFL head coach, which includes a 9-3 record as the interim coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. He is two wins short of matching Ken Whisenhunt's record for most wins as Cardinals head coach with 49.
Arians is a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year -- with the Colts in 2012 and the Cardinals in 2014. He led the Cardinals to a franchise-best 13 wins and an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2015.
Arians has over 40 years of coaching experience. He was the head coach at Temple University from 1983-88 and won two Super Bowls as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff. He helped guide the Steelers past the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII when he was Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator.
