The Arizona Cardinals are set to hire 29-year-old Nick Rallis as their defensive coordinator, NFL Network reported Saturday night.
The move would make Rallis the youngest coordinator in the league. He would join Jonathan Gannon’s staff, marking the first hire of the new head coach. Gannon was introduced on Thursday.
Rallis was Philadelphia’s linebackers coach the past two seasons working with Gannon, then the Eagles’ DC.
Rallis became the youngest full-time positional coach in the NFL when the Eagles hired him in 2021. Before that, he was the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive quality control/assistant linebackers coach from 2018-20.
A native of Edina, Minn., Rallis played linebacker at the University of Minnesota from 2012-16, participating in 26 games and making three starts as a senior.
Rallis then accepted a position as a quality control coach at Wake Forest in 2017.
According to a story Friday on the Cardinals’ website, the team’s search for a defensive coordinator included interest in Chicago Bears linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi (as reported by ESPN) and Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington (as reported by NFL Network).
“With all our coaches (I want) capacity and character,” Gannon said. “I want smart guys that value the players and want to serve the players. That’s their job to maximize the players. I want to be able to start putting that staff together.”
Rallis would replace Vance Joseph, who was released from his contract.
–Field Level Media