Cardinals Hire Rams OC Mike LaFleur to be Next Head Coach
The Arizona Cardinals have found their next head coach, not long after losing out on the sweepstakes to land Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has been hired as the next head coach of the Cardinals, the team announced Sunday. With Sunday's news of the Cardinals hiring LaFleur and the Las Vegas Raiders planning to hire Kubiak, all 10 head coach vacancies have been filled.
"I couldn’t be more fired up to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and am beyond grateful to [owner] Michael [Bidwill] and [general manager] Monti [Ossenfort] for this opportunity," LaFleur said in a statement released by the Cardinals. "Having competed against them in the NFC so many times in recent years, I know the type of talent and toughness the team has and cannot wait to get to Arizona to hit the ground running."
LaFleur, 38, has been the Rams' offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, helping Los Angeles undergo a resurgence following its disappointing 2022 season. Under LaFleur's watch, the Rams' offense has been among the best in football over the last few years, with quarterback Matthew Stafford playing at an MVP level and wide receiver Puka Nacua becoming an Offensive Player of the Year candidate in 2025. The Rams' offense led the league in yards and points this season, too.
While LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for a prolific offense, he wasn't viewed as highly of a coaching candidate as other coordinators because head coach Sean McVay calls plays for the Rams. FOX Sports' Henry McKenna didn't include LaFleur in his nine best head coach candidate ranking as a result.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, weren't viewed as a top destination among the 10 head coach vacancies this offseason, either. FOX Sports' Ben Arthur ranked the Arizona job as the second-worst vacancy this offseason, with the Miami Dolphins being the only team ranked behind the Cardinals. The Cardinals went 3-14 in 2025, which was tied for the worst record in the league, and have questions at quarterback following Kyler Murray's regression this past season.
LaFleur inherits some intriguing pieces on Arizona’s roster, though, including All-Pro tight end Trey McBride, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and veteran edge rusher Josh Sweat.
Arizona also has the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft.
"In his career, Mike has been around some of the best and brightest coaches in football and has been a key contributor to highly successful teams," Ossenfort said. "He understands what winning football looks like and what it takes to achieve it."
Murray, 28, has played seven seasons in the desert since being selected with the No. 1 pick in 2019 but has been to the playoffs just once, losing in the wild-card round to the Rams in 2021.
Murray played in just five games last season because of a foot injury, throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s in the middle of a $230.5 million, five-year contract that could last through 2028.
Backup Jacoby Brissett started the final 12 games of the season, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 TDs and eight interceptions but winning just one game. He’s under contract next season.
LaFleur has to rebuild the Cardinals in the NFC West, which was the best division in football this season.
The Cardinals’ 14 losses last season were more than the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers had combined. All three of those teams made it to the division round of the playoffs; the Seahawks will play for the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.
LaFleur is the second member of his family to become a head coach. His older brother, Matt LaFleur, has been the head coach of the Green Bay Packers since 2019.
Prior to joining the Rams in 2023, LaFleur was the offensive coordinator of the New York Jets for two seasons and worked as an assistant under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers for four years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.