It’s been quite a few weeks for Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon.
Ten days ago, his interaction with running back Emari Demercado resulted in a six-figure fine. On Wednesday, his walk-off answer during a midweek press conference was a show stopper.
“How early in your career did you have to start trying to figure out how to take the emotion out of coaching as far as when you have all these injuries and you have all these different pieces?” a reporter asked. “When’s the first time that you can recall that?”
Said Gannon, without missing a beat: “2007, when our quarterback went to jail.”
Next came a second or two of total silence, until someone said, “Coach, thank you!”
Gannon was referring to his first NFL season. He’d come to the Falcons from Louisville with head coach Bobby Petrino. Gannon was working as a quality control assistant on defense in Atlanta.
That July, Mike Vick was indicted on federal dogfighting charges. Later that year, Petrino abruptly left for Arkansas.
Gannon spent the next three years in scouting with the Rams. He returned to coaching in 2012, with the Titans. And his career ascended from there.
This year, it’s going the other way. And he’s working for a franchise that has never had the same head coach longer than six years.
Gannon is in year three. Although today’s comment won’t be relevant to whether he gets a fourth, the odds are growing against him to get a fourth.
