The other known candidates to replace the fired Ken Whisenhunt are Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

With the exception of Horton, the candidates are rooted in offense and that’s the Cardinals’ area of greatest need. Arizona had the worst offense in the NFL last season.

Bevell, who also is in the running for the Chicago Bears’ job, played a key role in the development of rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. The tandem of Bevell and Wilson, who both played college ball at Wisconsin, helped the Seahawks’ offense become more potent as the season progressed.

Seattle put together an impressive rally before losing 30-28 at Atlanta in the NFC semifinals last weekend.

Bevell, 43, has local roots. He grew up in Scottsdale, and attended Chaparral High. He spent a redshirt freshman season at Northern Arizona before leaving for a two-year Mormon mission. When Bevell returned, he enrolled at Wisconsin and quarterbacked the Badgers to a Rose Bowl victory over UCLA in 1994.

He joined the professional coaching ranks in 2000 as an offensive assistant in Green Bay and was promoted to quarterbacks coach of the Packers three years later. Bevell served as the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2010. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll brought him in as offensive coordinator in 2011.

The Cardinals’ list of potential coaches lost a name when the San Diego Chargers hired Mike McCoy.

The Cardinals obviously had high interest in McCoy, interviewing him in Denver over the Broncos’ bye weekend in the first round of the playoffs. They wanted a second interview, but were thwarted when the Chargers closed the deal.

It was the second time a would-be candidate was taken away. Cardinals president Michael Bidwill had reached out to fired Philadelphia coach Andy Reid but never even got a chance to interview him because the Kansas City Chiefs moved in quickly to secure an agreement.

Whisenhunt, interviewed for several NFL head coaching jobs since his dismissal, was fired by Arizona after six seasons, tied for the longest tenure for a coach in the Cardinals’ long, mostly losing history. He got the team to the Super Bowl in his second season and won a second straight NFC West title the following year, but quarterback Kurt Warner retired and the team’s offense never recovered.

The Cardinals used four quarterbacks this season. Only Kevin Kolb had much success, helping the team to a 4-0 start before going down in week six with what proved to be a season-ending rib injury. Kolb threw for eight touchdowns with three interceptions. The other three QBs — John Skelton, rookie Ryan Lindley, and late-season pickup Brian Hoyer combined for three TDs and 18 picks.

Arizona went six games without a touchdown pass, losing 11 of its last 12 to finish 5-11.

Arizona also fired general manager Rod Graves, promoting Steve Keim, the vice president for player personnel, to fill the vacancy.

Horton, who also interviewed for the jobs in Buffalo and Cleveland before those teams went elsewhere for a coach, has a year left on his contract as defensive coordinator and presumably would return to that job if he doesn’t get the head coaching position.

The Cardinals have confirmed interviews with Horton and Gruden but not with Haley, although Steelers president Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the interview did take place.

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McCoy had one thing to do, though, before accepting the Chargers’ offer, so it was a good thing Chargers president Dean Spanos’ private plane was at his disposal.

“There was no doubt in my mind when I got back on that plane to go back home,” said McCoy, the former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator who was introduced Tuesday as Chargers’ new coach. “They wanted to keep me here last night. But I said, ‘I’ve got to talk to my wife about this before.’ If I made the decision without talking to my wife, I might get in a little trouble.”

So McCoy flew back to Denver to talk it over with his wife, Kellie. McCoy, his wife and their two children were back on the same plane Tuesday morning, flying back to San Diego to take the job.

“Without a doubt, we knew this was the place we wanted to be,” said McCoy, who signed a four-year contract.

McCoy replaces Norv Turner, who was fired along with general manager A.J. Smith after the Chargers finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

The move comes three days after the top-seeded Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs in a double-overtime home loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The 40-year-old McCoy is the same age as Tom Telesco, who was hired as general manager last week. He interviewed after the Chargers already had talked to Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, fired head coaches Lovie Smith and Ken Whisenhunt, and Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

“Once he came in and once we saw how good he was, we just felt we had to have him now,” Telesco said of McCoy. “We had to get it done or we’d lose him.”

“He was polished, prepared, had great questions, which I think is big, too, that he had a lot of questions for us. It’s a partnership between the GM and the head coach, through and through. We spend more time with each other during the season than we do with our own family, so it’s got to be a tight relationship. When he came in, after a little bit of time, you could tell he was the right guy for us. We went after him hard.”

San Diego was scheduled to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians on Wednesday. Telesco, previously the Colts’ vice president of football operations, called Arians on Tuesday morning and told him the Chargers had hired McCoy.

“It was a tough phone call,” Telesco said. “I have so much respect for Bruce. He’s an excellent football coach. He’s going to be a great head coach in this league. I was honest with him. I said, ‘There’s different situations, different fits, and right now, this is a fit for Mike McCoy.’ He understood.”

McCoy inherits a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since after the 2008 season.

He thanked all the coaches and players he’s worked with over the years for helping him get to this point. He also said he knew just a few minutes into his interview that San Diego was the right place.

“They all laughed at me when I walked in yesterday with this big ol’ bag with all these books and binders and everything,” McCoy said. “Well, that’s my life’s work. We’ve got a detailed plan that Tom and I are going to put together. … There’s going to be some change. There’s a reason for change. And change is good sometimes in organizations. We’ve just got to make the most of the opportunity we have moving forward.”

The Broncos have won consecutive AFC West titles. McCoy tutored quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow in 2011, and had Peyton Manning behind center in 2012.

McCoy, who interviewed with the Miami Dolphins last year after retooling Denver’s offense to the read-option for Tebow at midstream in 2011, burnished his head coaching credentials this season while blending the power formations the Broncos used in leading the league in rushing last year with Tebow and some of the spread formations that Manning ran in Indianapolis.

“I think he’s going to be a great head coach. Very detail-oriented, knows the game, relates with players very well,” Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley said.

“Peyton does a lot but Mike is very good at what he does and he did a great job this year, so a lot of credit needs to go to him, also,” Stokley said. “I think that’s what you need to be a head coach — you need to be flexible. You need to do whatever you think is the best for your team to win and you know that’s what he’s done. You saw that last year. Not a lot of offensive coordinators in the NFL like running that kind of offense, but that’s what he did and it was successful.”

McCoy said he was “a bit stubborn” after Tebow was made the starter in 2011, but then realized he needed to change the offense.

“You take advantage of what your players do best,” McCoy said.

With the Chargers, McCoy will work with Philip Rivers, who struggled this season in large part because he was under siege behind a shaky offensive line. Rivers was sacked 49 times and committed 22 turnovers, giving him 47 turnovers in two seasons.

“You go through the disappointment from the season and losing your coach to now having a new GM, new coach, and you get excited and ready to go for this 2013 season,” Rivers said.

“Once I found out that we were bringing him in on Monday, I was hoping he wasn’t going to leave again. I’m excited that was the case and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Denver swept the Chargers in 2012, including an epic 35-24 victory at San Diego on Oct. 15 when Manning calmly led the Broncos back from a 24-0 halftime deficit.

McCoy was a walk-on quarterback at Long Beach State under coach George Allen. After the 49ers dropped football, he transferred to Utah. He signed with the Broncos as a free agent and spent his rookie season on Green Bay’s practice squad. He had stops in NFL Europe and with San Francisco, Philadelphia and in the CFL. He began his pro coaching career with Carolina before moving to the Broncos in 2009.

McCoy said he learned about detail and preparation from Allen, who coached the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins.

“He was not a big yeller and screamer, he just expected you to go out there and do your job and execute the system the way it was supposed to be executed,” McCoy said.

McCoy said he planned to hire an offensive coordinator to call plays. Turner called his own plays. McCoy was non-committal about defensive coordinator John Pagano, saying he planned to evaluate the entire staff.

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Arians led the Colts to a 9-3 record as interim head coach in place of Chuck Pagano, who was receiving treatment for leukemia. He has groomed Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck early in their careers.

NFL.com reported on Thursday that the Chicago Bears were the first team to request permission to interview Arians, who’s helping the Colts prepare for their playoff game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

Bradley is helping the Seahawks prep for their playoff game against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. He’s been the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator since 2009, and the team’s defense allowed a league-low 15.3 points per game this season.

The Eagles are seeking a replacement for longtime coach Andy Reid, who was fired Monday.

They already have interviewed Penn State’s Bill O’Brien and Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong. O’Brien is remaining at Penn State.

Team officials will meet with Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy Sunday in Denver, and are also expected to talk with Oregon coach Chip Kelly.

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Owner Ralph Wilson, 94, relinquished his title as team president to Brandon, who already held the title of CEO. In his new role, Brandon will report directly to Wilson.

Brandon said Buddy Nix will remain the club’s general manager. A team source told ESPN, however, that the Bills will transition to Doug Whaley at GM at some point. Whaley will be involved in the coaching search as well.

The Bills fired coach Chan Gailey on Monday after their second consecutive 6-10 this season and are in the midst of their fifth coaching search since 2001.

“As soon as we get off this podium, we go to work,” Brandon said Tuesday. “We’re heading out of here and starting that process.”

First stop: Arizona.

That was the destination of a plane Brandon, general manager Buddy Nix and several other key front-office members had boarded to immediately begin the process of finding a coach.

Though the team, on its website, didn’t divulge any details beyond Brandon’s travel plans, Arizona is home to three potential candidates: Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton as well as former Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt and his assistant Russ Grimm, who had both been fired a day earlier.

Buffalo has asked for permission to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy for its coaching vacancy, a league source told ESPN.

Brandon discussed his promotion at a news conference following a Monday meeting with the 94-year-old Hall of Fame owner at his home in suburban Detroit.

“It was a rather emotional visit,” Brandon said. “He told me he was passing the torch to me to run the franchise in totality. He has granted me full authority to run the franchise with zero restrictions and zero limitations.”

Buffalo extended the NFL’s longest playoff drought to 13 years this season. Over that stretch, Buffalo only once had a winning record — 9-7 in 2004.

Wilson, the franchise’s founder, has only once before given up the title of president. That was in 2001, when he hired Tom Donahoe to also serve as general manager. Donahoe was fired after the 2005 season, at which point Wilson took back the title and said he had no plan to ever give it up again.

“These past 13 years have been very difficult on our fans and we have not produced the type of winning team that they deserve,” Wilson said in the statement. “It has been frustrating for our organization and for me as well. We want our team to be one that our fans are proud of. I believe that Russ has the unique abilities to assemble and lead the talent we will need to get the job done.”

Brandon said the coaching search will be “exhaustive” as he attempts to revive a once-proud franchise whose brand and relevancy, he believes, is “tarnished.”

“We haven’t won enough games. And that’s on us,” Brandon said. “And we’re going to change it. We need to change it. And I will go to the end of the earth to make sure that we change it.”

Nix will report directly to Brandon, while maintaining authority over football operations.

Nix declined to be pinned down on the what he’s looking for in a coaching candidate, saying: “This time, I think it’s wide open.”

That’s a switch from three years ago, when Nix narrowed his parameters on hiring someone with previous head-coaching experience and an offensive background.

On other issues, Nix called it “an organizational” decision to fire Gailey. Nix backtracked on the unconditional support he voiced toward Gailey in November by saying: “Things change, and it changed some with us. We kind of collapsed at the end. That made a difference.”

As for starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s future, Nix said that will be left up to the next coach.

Brandon completed his 16th season with the Bills, and has been serving as the team’s chief operating officer since 2008. He was initially hired to work as the Bills director of business development and marketing. He previously served as general manager in 2008 and `09, taking over after Marv Levy stepped down.

During his time with the team, Brandon’s played a key role in expanding the franchise’s small-market base both east into Rochester, and north into southern Ontario and Toronto.

In 2008, Brandon played a significant role in spearheading the Bills playing games in Toronto, located a two-hour drive from Buffalo. The team reached a five-year deal to play eight games — including five annual regular season games — in Canada’s largest city and financial capital.

The deal with Toronto-based Rogers Communications expired this year, but the Bills and Rogers have expressed confidence that the series of games will be renewed in the coming months.

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But Emery also divulged that the Bears’ decision to make a coaching change ultimately came down to inconsistency on offense and the team’s inability to perennially advance to the postseason.

“During the course of Smith’s career, we’ve had one offense that ranked in the teens (in 2006, when the Bears advanced to the Super Bowl). We haven’t had the balance between our defensive excellence,” Emery said during a press conference Tuesday. “We have searched for answers. The end result is we did not have enough consistency. That, paired with not getting into the playoffs on a consistent basis, I made the change moving forward.”

Emery insisted he made the decision to fire Smith, who led the team to the postseason three times in nine years, and came to that end with the blessings of team president Ted Phillips and Bears chairman George McCaskey.

McCaskey admitted the decision to fire Smith was “very difficult” because “our family has high regard for Lovie.”

Smith came to Halas Hall on Monday to speak with Emery, Phillips and McCaskey, who said “I was struggling to keep my emotions in check.”

The task now is for the Bears to find a replacement for Smith. Emery said the team will conduct interviews over the next two weeks.

According to league sources, Emery already has traveled to Atlanta to interview Falconsspecial teams coordinator Keith Armstrong.

The Cowboys have granted the Bears permission to interview special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, a Dallas source told ESPN. DeCamillis shares a history with Emery, as they worked together with the Falcons.

The Bears also will interview Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy over the weekend and will also sit down with Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, sources told ESPN.

Team president Ted Phillips was asked if budget will be an issue with the hire.

“We’ve talked about what do we want to do in terms of bringing in a head coach and the bottom line is we want the right fit,” Phillips said. “We want the synergy with Phil. We want the synergies with the players with the whole organization, a sense of excellence and once Phil brings in those final candidates — believe he’ll bring in great candidates who will be a great fit, then we’re going to do whatever it takes to hire the right guy.”

Emery said there’s “a sense of urgency” to conclude the search as quickly as possible, and ideally he’d like to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the new head coach at the Jan. 19 East-West Shrine Game or the Senior Bowl, set for Jan. 26.

The rest of Smith’s assistant coaches, meanwhile, remain under contract and, according to an NFL source, were told by Emery they won’t know their ultimate fate until the new head coach is in place.

Emery extended the contracts of Smith’s staff last season “to protect them because I was a new GM” but it also “protected the club.”

“There are going to be candidates that will have people in mind (for positions as assistants) that they may not be able to reach,” Emery said. “NFL rules are very definitive in that the only position an assistant coach that is currently under contract with a team can move from one team to another is head coach. So we could be denied in our effort. If we find a head coach we like and want to move forward to, he may have an assistant he wants to move forward on, but we might not be able to reach.

“Having our assistant coaches here and getting to know them for a year, and know who they are and where their level of excellence not only is, but what their level of expertise is, was very important in the course of the evaluation.”

Some of the assistants don’t want to return, according to a source, who also said many would jump at the opportunity to become a part of Smith’s staff if he receives another job as head coach. Sources told ESPN that four teams looking for head coaches have reached out to Smith.

Emery outlined qualities the club seeks during its search for a new head coach, saying the “No. 1 criteria is excellence in their role,” as well as “great organizational skills, administrative skills, along with leadership skills.”

Emery also covets a “high-energy” candidate that can represent the Bears positively in dealings with the media.

Prospective salary won’t be a hindrance in Chicago’s pursuit of coaching candidates, according to Emery, McCaskey and Phillips.

“The NFL head coaching job is a 24/7 job,” Emery said. “It’s a high demand, extremely competitive environment. You have to be highly organized, thorough, (and) meticulous to make sure you’re always putting your team in position for success. It goes to the minute details of the collective bargaining agreement.”

Emery also pointed out he plans to interview a wide range of candidates, and “no one has been excluded,” including remaining assistants under contract from the Smith regime. Special teams coach Dave Toub received an interview for a head coaching position in Miami last season. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli have also served as head coaches in the past.

The Bears plan to take a look at coaches from all backgrounds, whether it is on offense, defense or special teams, and they’ll peruse candidates from both the NFL and collegiate level. Ideally, if the Bears go the college route, they’d like for the candidate to have experience on the NFL level.

If Chicago goes after any college coaches, it will wait until after the bowl season to do so, and adhere to rules requiring it to first contact the athletic director or school president of any prospective candidate it would like to interview.

Given the fact it’s occurred before, there’s a chance the prospective new head coach of the Bears might prefer another quarterback over current starter Jay Cutler. Emery indicated he’s “not saying that” keeping Cutler would be a requirement for the new head coach.

But earlier in the nearly hour-long press conference, Emery spoke of the need “to build around (Cutler).

“That’s been the goal from the beginning,” he said. “To build around Jay and to build our team towards championships.”

Asked specifically whether keeping Cutler, who is set in 2013 to enter the final year of his contract, was a requirement of the new head coach, Emery steered his response to the need to find someone capable of developing the entire team.

“I’m saying that I’m looking for a head coach that can take all the unique talents we have and bring them together toward winning championships,” Emery said. “It’s not just about Jay. There are 10 other guys that start out there.

“We have to have coaches and staff that are capable of finding their skills sets, what they do best and building offense, defense and special teams toward something that is consistently moving toward championships. Our team.”

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Reid’s status as the favorite for the Cardinals’ job was earlier reported by KTVK-TV in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Arizona is fast tracking Reid so it can move as quickly as possible. One league source said he was “95 percent” certain Reid will wind up coaching the Cardinals.

The Cardinals formally interviewed defensive coordinator Ray Horton on Tuesday, one day after Ken Whisenhunt was fired following six seasons as the team’s coach.

Cardinals president Michael Bidwill also plans to fly to Denver over the weekend to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.

Reid has spent recent days assembling a coaching staff, telling potential assistants that an announcement could come quickly, according to one assistant. After his run of 14 seasons in Philadelphia ended Monday, Reid appeared set on coaching again next season.

Arizona would be appealing to Reid and his family on a number of levels, none more so than his wife Tammy is from the Phoenix area and it would bring them closer to family.

In Arizona, Reid also could try to help salvage the career of former Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb, who has struggled since signing a lucrative five-year deal with the Cardinals following a trade from Philadelphia in 2011.

In a perfect world, Arizona would get to hire Reid and his offensive staff and match it with Horton and the defensive staff, giving the Cardinals a winning one-two coaching combination.

Kolb, who threw 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in four seasons with Philadelphia, remains under contract with Arizona, but the team is expected to want to restructure his contract. He is set to make $9 million plus a $2 million roster bonus for the coming season.

“I’m not ready to give up on Kevin Kolb yet,” Bidwill said Monday.

Bidwill has to interview McCoy this weekend in Denver under NFL rules that provide a narrow window for such meetings with members of coaching staffs whose teams have a bye the first round of the playoffs. McCoy also has an interview scheduled with the Browns.

Larry Fitzgerald, who had one of his worst seasons as the Cardinals struggled at the quarterback position, weighed in on the firing of Whisenhunt and general manager Rod Graves. In a lengthy tweet, Fitzgerald thanked the pair for giving him the opportunity to “live my dream in the NFL.”

“We all shoulder the blame for a disappointing season which began with such promise,” Fitzgerald wrote.

He said that “even in the midst of a tumultuous season, it was still a pleasure to work for the staff we served under, and for that we remain grateful.”

“Their professionalism will provide for renewed accomplishments in different environs,” Fitzgerald wrote. “We all, to a man, thank them and wish them the best.”

Whisenhunt set the record for victories by a Cardinals coach, going 45-51 in six seasons, 4-2 in the playoffs. The team got off to a 4-0 start but lost 11 of 12 to finish 5-11 for the second time in three seasons.

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