The Bill Cowher Coaching Tree (Re)Grows a Limb – Ken Whisenhunt Gets Titans Job

The Bill Cowher coaching tree regrew a new limb on Monday when the Tennessee Titans named form Pittsburgh Steelers tight ends coach and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt  as its new head coach. Whether Whisenhunt will bring Russ Grimm with him to Nashaville or not is not yet know.

Bill Cowher’s coaching tree will never be confused with that of Bill Walsh. Nonetheless, Cowher has mentored more than his fair share of NFL head coaches,

  • Dom Capers, served as Cowher’s defensive coordinator from 1992-1994 and went on to coach the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans
  • Chan Gailey, severed as Cowher’s offensive coordinator in 1996 and 1997 and left to coach the Dallas Cowboys in the ‘90’s, and the Buffalo Bills in the this past decade
  • Dick LeBeau, served as Cowher’s defensive coordinator from 1995 to 1996, and was named Cincinnati Bengals head coach in 2000. LeBeau was not successful as a head coach, but has spawned his own tree of NFL defensive assistants
  • Mike Mularkey, served as Cowhers offensive coordinator from 2001-2003, and left to become the Buffalo Bills head coach and Mularkey also did a stint as the Jacksonville Jaguars coach in 2012
  • Bruce Arians, served as Cowher’s final receiver’s coach from 2004 to 2006, and now coaches Pittsburgh West aka the Arizona Cardinals

Arians is enjoying a successful run in Pittsburgh West, where he has overseen the rehabilitation of Carson Palmer. Pittsburgh West was of course also Whisenhunt’s first head coaching gig.

His work as Steelers offensive coordinator from 2004 to 2006, and especially his work in developing Ben Roethilsberger, got him the job in Arizona. Yet, while Whisenhunt failed to develop Matt Leinart,he did guide Kurt Warner to a “phoenix like” rebirth (excuse the pun) and together the two took the Cardinals all the way to Super Bowl XLIII.

…All loyalty to the Chin aside, Steelers Nation is happy with how that one turned out.

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