Head coach Kliff Kingsbury told The Arizona Republic that the team fired offensive line coach & running game coordinator Sean Kugler.
Sean Kugler : Fired | Why was fired | Mexico incident
Sean Patrick Kugler is an American football coach and former run game coordinator and offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) who was fired by the team on November 21, 2022.
| Arizona Cardinals | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Run game coordinator & offensive line coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | August 9, 1966 Lockport, New York |
| Career information | |
| College: | UTEP |
He previously served as the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2013 to 2017.
Kugler was an assistant coach in the NFL for the Detroit Lions (2001–2005), Buffalo Bills (2007–2009), Pittsburgh Steelers (2010–2012), and Denver Broncos (2018).
Kugler attended the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 1984 to 1988, earning letterman honors in football for all four years. The 1988 team played in the Independence Bowl.
Sean Kugler fired
The Arizona Cardinals have fired offensive line coach and run game coordinator Sean Kugler.
The Cardinals haven’t confirmed Kugler’s dismissal but the coach was no longer listed on the team’s website on Tuesday.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury told The Arizona Republic that Kugler was fired for an incident that happened on Sunday night in Mexico City, one day before the team’s 38-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Azteca.
Kugler was sent home on Monday morning ahead of Arizona’s blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
The Arizona Republic first reported Kugler’s firing.
Kugler’s bio on the Cardinals’ website had been removed by Tuesday.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury was asked during his news conference Tuesday if he’d had to make any staff changes, and he responded by saying: “No.” Shortly after, news broke of Kugler’s firing.
Kugler was responsible for game-planning the Cardinals’ run scheme, which has struggled as of late, failing to reach 100 yards in three of the team’s past four games.
The Cardinals have struggled recently with an injury-laden offensive line. Just one opening-week starter, right tackle Kelvin Beachum, played Monday night. The other four were out because they were either on injured reserve or inactive with an injury.
Arizona averaged 1.8 yards per rush before contact on Monday, which was its second-worst rate this season. Kingsbury said Monday’s performance was a product of scheme and personnel.
“I would say all of the above and a very good defense,” Kingsbury said. “When you look at their defensive line, their front seven, I thought they played at a really high level and we’ve got to be better, schematically got to be better, physically, all those things but you got to give them a lot of credit as well.”
Sean Kugler why was fired
While playing abroad, the Arizona Cardinals made a personnel decision that was not anticipated or expected.
Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury told The Arizona Republic that the team fired offensive line coach and running game coordinator Sean Kugler.
Kingsbury said the firing came after an incident occurred in Mexico City – but would not specify what happened.
‘We relieved him of his duties, and he was sent home Monday morning prior to the game,’ Kingsbury said.
Arizona was in Mexico City to play the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in a game they would go on to lose.
No one on the team has addressed the incident specifically or gave an exact reason as to why Kugler was fired.
He is not listed on the team’s website and a link to his page comes up with an error message.
According to the team, the o-line is now the responsibility of assistant coach Brian Natkin as well as tight ends coach Steve Heiden.
Kugler had been on the staff of the Cardinals since 2019 after similar stops in Denver, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Detroit. He also worked at the college level.
Mexico incident
What a complete failure was the Arizona Cardinals’ trip to Mexico City. The club not only lost to the San Francisco 49ers 38-10 on Monday Night Football, but they also misplaced one of their coaches in the process.
Sean Kugler, the Cardinals’ offensive line coach and coordinator of the rushing game, was reportedly fired by the organization and sent home before Monday night’s game against the Niners. Following “an incident in Mexico” on Sunday night, the choice was made.
The event was initially believed to have occurred on Saturday, but Cardinals insider Bob McManaman later updated the timeline after speaking with head coach Kliff Kingsbury about the matter.
“We relieved him of his duties,” Kingsbury told McManaman. “He was sent home Monday morning prior to the game.”
The precise reason why Kugler was fired is unknown at this time. According to reports, he was well respected within the company, so whatever he did must have been really bad to get him fired.
With the defeat on Monday evening, the Cardinals’ record dropped to 4-7 overall. Given that it appears to be another lost season, don’t be shocked if the club fires a few more coaches between now and January.
Jimmy Garoppolo, the quarterback for San Francisco, looked toward the Estadio Azteca fans as the final seconds passed by, raised his hands above his head, and began clapping.
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