NFL - The Arizona Cardinals hired 38-year-old Mike LaFleur as head coach on Sunday. He takes over the rebuilding organization following three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff.
LaFleur brings over a decade of NFL experience to Arizona, having held various coaching roles since 2014. He is the brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and the son of former Central Michigan University coach Denny LaFleur.
LaFleur is a product of the offensive coaching tree led by Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. He spent the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams following a two-year stint as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets from 2021 to 2022.
His professional coaching background includes positions with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers dating back to 2014.
During a press conference on Tuesday, LaFleur spoke about growing up in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. His father, LaFleur, was a longtime coach at Central Michigan University and played on the school’s 1974 National Championship team. His mother, Kristi LaFleur, is also an alumna of the university.LaFleur, head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, reflected on his connection to his hometown and his family’s history with the university. “There was nothing better than Central Michigan University, period... I liked going to Kelly/Shorts Stadium and seeing Central Michigan,” LaFleur said.
The hire places LaFleur in the same professional rank as his brother. The elder LaFleur has served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers since 2019.