There is still no word as to who the Arizona Cardinals will decide on to be their next head coach, but it is looking more and more likely that it won\’t be Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who reportedly interviewed with his former employer last week.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports on Monday, that according to his sources, Haley gave Cardinals team president Michael Bidwill a very high asking price as far as salary goes when the two met last week. Dulac speculates that Haley did this because he is currently happy with his job with the Steelers and doesn’t want to leave unless an offer is too good to pass up.
Haley reportedly built a new house in Pittsburgh upon his arrival back in town last season, and said at that time that he intended to stay with the Steelers as long as they would have him.
The Cardinals requested permission to talk to Haley a few weeks ago and the Steelers granted it to them. Last week Haley\’s agent denied that his client was interviewing with the Cardinals but team president Art Rooney II confirmed during his end of the season talk with the media last week that Haley was indeed interviewing for the Cardinals opening.
So what was in it for Haley if he deep down he knew that his asking price was too high? First, it never hurts to ask, and second, it keeps his name circulating as a potential candidate moving forward. Should Haley indeed return to Pittsburgh for a second season, which Rooney endorses happening, and greatly improve things, then he will likely be highly sought after for any head coach openings after the 2013 season.
There is a reason that Haley has only been sought after by one team following an 8-8 inaugural season with the Steelers. Perhaps he did Bidwell a favor by at least sitting down and listening to him or perhaps Bidwell did Haley a favor by keeping his name in the news.
Any surprises here? Not really. I would expect the Cardinals to name their new head coach pretty soon and I expect that it won\’t be Haley.
