Cardinals hire new strength/conditioning coach, expand strength staff

A staff of two is now expanded to a director and a combo of eight coaches, coordinators and assistants.

Buddy Morris is no longer the Arizona Cardinals’ head strength and conditioning coach. He is not gone, though. He has a new title. He is now the senior reconditioning coordinator for what is now a largely expanded and newly created football performance department.

The strength and conditioning staff used to be only Mooris and assistant coach Mark Naylor.

Shea Thompson, announced with other new members of head coach Jonathan Gannon’s staff as the director of football performance, oversees the strength and conditioning staff.

The Cardinals hired Evan Marcus to be their new head strength and conditioning coach. He spent the last seven seasons on the Cleveland Browns’ staff. He was head strength and conditioning coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007, the Miami Dolphins from 2008-2010 and Minnesota Vikings in 2014-2015.

Naylor remains as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, while Jason Benguche and Everett Gathron were also hired as assistant, and Kyle Sammons was hired as sports science coordinator and assistant strength and conditioning coach.

A staff of two previously now is comprised of a director and combination of eight coaches, coordinators and assistants.

As for Morris, his role is different. Previously he was in charge of strength and conditioning and reported to the head coach.

Now he will be under Marcus, the new head strength and conditioning coach, who reports to Thompson, the director of football performance, who answers to Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals’ head coach.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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