mesaSteeler
01-10-2011, 07:54 PM
Cardinals may miss out on Steelers assistant Butler
4 comments by Kent Somers - Jan. 10, 2011 04:14 PM
The Arizona Republic
Coach Ken Whisenhunt would like to interview Pittsburgh Steelers assistant Keith Butler for the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator's job, but Whisenhunt might not get that chance if the Steelers advance far into the playoffs.
Butler, Pittsburgh's linebackers coach, cannot be interviewed until the Steelers are eliminated from the playoffs. Pittsburgh hosts Baltimore on Saturday.
The Steelers also would have to grant Whisenhunt permission to interview Butler, which they denied in 2007 when both teams were undergoing a coaching change.
More of a roadblack may be a clause in his contract that prevents him from interviewing for the Cardinals defensive coordinator's job, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Monday.
After the 2009 season, Butler turned down an offer to become the Dolphins' defensive coordinator. According to the Post-Gazette, Butler and the Steelers agreed then to contract language that identifies Butler as "the coordinator in waiting" for when Dick LeBeau decides to retire. :applaudit::applaudit: (Excellent news. Not that I want to Papa LeBeau retire but knowing we have a experienced coordinator behind him is reassuring. Imagine if the Rooney's had not done this. We might have ended up with, horror of horrors, the a defensive coordinator version of the Airhead. - mesa)
Whisenhunt is expected to interview at least two unnamed candidates this week to replace Bill Davis, who was fired last week. Whisenhunt might not be able to wait for Butler's situation to be resolved because candidates would not want to pass on other opportunities in the meantime.
If the coordinator's job is open when Butler becomes available, Whisenhunt should be able to move quickly. Whisenhunt was on the Browns' staff with Butler in 1999 and again for four seasons with the Steelers under coach Bill Cowher. Whisenhunt and Butler are close friends. (No Whizie you can't have him. Develop your own talent and stop poaching ours! Not that it matters since we will take the SuperBowl this year. - mesa)
A new coordinator likely would have some influence on the makeup of the remainder of the defensive staff, although the final decision would be Whisenhunt's.
Butler, 52, is in his eighth season on the Steelers' staff and is credited with developing several Pro Bowl linebackers, including James Farrior, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
Butler, a linebacker at Memphis, was drafted by Seattle in the second round 1978 and played 10 seasons for the Seahawks He coached nine years at the college level before taking the job with the Browns.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2011/01/10/20110110arizona-cardinals-pittsburgh-steelers-keith-butler-may-miss.html#ixzz1Agdtsylc
(I love how this idiot Turdnail beat writer assumes that Butler would want to move from working one of the best owners and best run teams to one of the worst owners and worst run teams in the league. Friendship only goes so far and why would Butler want to join a Whizze who get himself fired yet. Turdnials, their fans, and their writers are idiots! - mesa)
4 comments by Kent Somers - Jan. 10, 2011 04:14 PM
The Arizona Republic
Coach Ken Whisenhunt would like to interview Pittsburgh Steelers assistant Keith Butler for the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator's job, but Whisenhunt might not get that chance if the Steelers advance far into the playoffs.
Butler, Pittsburgh's linebackers coach, cannot be interviewed until the Steelers are eliminated from the playoffs. Pittsburgh hosts Baltimore on Saturday.
The Steelers also would have to grant Whisenhunt permission to interview Butler, which they denied in 2007 when both teams were undergoing a coaching change.
More of a roadblack may be a clause in his contract that prevents him from interviewing for the Cardinals defensive coordinator's job, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Monday.
After the 2009 season, Butler turned down an offer to become the Dolphins' defensive coordinator. According to the Post-Gazette, Butler and the Steelers agreed then to contract language that identifies Butler as "the coordinator in waiting" for when Dick LeBeau decides to retire. :applaudit::applaudit: (Excellent news. Not that I want to Papa LeBeau retire but knowing we have a experienced coordinator behind him is reassuring. Imagine if the Rooney's had not done this. We might have ended up with, horror of horrors, the a defensive coordinator version of the Airhead. - mesa)
Whisenhunt is expected to interview at least two unnamed candidates this week to replace Bill Davis, who was fired last week. Whisenhunt might not be able to wait for Butler's situation to be resolved because candidates would not want to pass on other opportunities in the meantime.
If the coordinator's job is open when Butler becomes available, Whisenhunt should be able to move quickly. Whisenhunt was on the Browns' staff with Butler in 1999 and again for four seasons with the Steelers under coach Bill Cowher. Whisenhunt and Butler are close friends. (No Whizie you can't have him. Develop your own talent and stop poaching ours! Not that it matters since we will take the SuperBowl this year. - mesa)
A new coordinator likely would have some influence on the makeup of the remainder of the defensive staff, although the final decision would be Whisenhunt's.
Butler, 52, is in his eighth season on the Steelers' staff and is credited with developing several Pro Bowl linebackers, including James Farrior, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
Butler, a linebacker at Memphis, was drafted by Seattle in the second round 1978 and played 10 seasons for the Seahawks He coached nine years at the college level before taking the job with the Browns.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2011/01/10/20110110arizona-cardinals-pittsburgh-steelers-keith-butler-may-miss.html#ixzz1Agdtsylc
(I love how this idiot Turdnail beat writer assumes that Butler would want to move from working one of the best owners and best run teams to one of the worst owners and worst run teams in the league. Friendship only goes so far and why would Butler want to join a Whizze who get himself fired yet. Turdnials, their fans, and their writers are idiots! - mesa)