Ken Whisenhunt

Former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans; led Cardinals to first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Kenneth Moore Whisenhunt (born February 28, 1962) is an American football coach and former tight end. He played college football at Georgia Tech, was a twelfth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1985 and played four years there, then two each with the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets. He began coaching in 1995 and was head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2007 to 2012 and of the Tennessee Titans from 2014 to 2015. He took the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl, after the 2008 season, and to their first home playoff games in 60 years, but after Kurt Warner retired he had three straight non-winning seasons and was fired.

The Titans dismissed him after a 3-20 start to his tenure. Overall he went 48-71 as a head coach, including 4-31 over his last 35 games; he was 4-2 in the playoffs but missed them in five of his seven seasons, and among coaches who have won a conference championship his .403 winning percentage is the lowest.

Quick Facts

Position: Tight end
Born: 28 February 1962
Birthplace: Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
High school: Richmond County (Augusta)
College: Georgia Tech (1980–1984)
Draft year: 1985
Draft round: 12
Draft pick: 313

Lore & Background

Whisenhunt played college football at Georgia Tech (1980–84) where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering. As a senior, he finished first-team all-ACC as a senior and second-team all-ACC as a junior. His NFL playing career included four years (1985–88) as a tight end with the Atlanta Falcons, who selected him in the twelfth round of the 1985 NFL draft. He had short stints of two seasons each with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets, retiring after the 1992 season with eight seasons total.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech in 1995, then moved to Vanderbilt University, coaching tight ends and special teams in 1996. In 1997, he returned to the NFL as tight ends coach for the Baltimore Ravens, then moved to the Cleveland Browns in 1999 and the New York Jets in 2000. In 2001, he was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers to coach tight ends, becoming offensive coordinator in 2004. He called a wide receiver reverse pass in Super Bowl XL that resulted in the first TD pass thrown by a WR in Super Bowl history.

As head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, he led them to a 9–7 record and NFC West Division championship in 2008, their first division title since 1975 when the team played in St. Louis. The Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs to reach Super Bowl XLIII, where they lost 27–23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2009, the Cardinals went 10–6 and won another NFC West title, defeating the Green Bay Packers 51–45 in overtime in the Wild Card Round before losing to the New Orleans Saints 45–14 in the Divisional Round.

After Warner's retirement, the Cardinals finished 5–11 in 2010, 8–8 in 2011, and started 4–0 in 2012 before losing nine straight games. Whisenhunt was fired on December 31, 2012. He then served as offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers in 2013, where the Chargers finished fifth in total offense.

Reader's Guide

Whisenhunt's coaching career is marked by his Super Bowl appearance with the Cardinals and his offensive coordinator success with the Steelers and Chargers. Key facts: He led the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl in franchise history in the 2008 season, losing 27–23 to the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII (no overtime). His overall head coaching record is 48–71, with a 4–31 record in his last 35 games. He was 4–2 in the playoffs. The Cardinals' first home playoff game in 60 years occurred in 2008; the last before that was in 1947 (61 years prior). The 1975 division title was in the NFC East, not the NFC West. Whisenhunt's tenure with the Titans ended with a 3–20 record.