Cardinals Hire Monti Ossenfort As New General Manager

After a disappointing season and a shake-up in personnel post season, the Cardinals now have their new general manager.

Owner Michael Bidwill hired Monti Ossenfort, who has been the Titans director of player personnel, as Steve Keim’s successor on Monday.

“It was critically important for us to find the right person to lead us as general manager and there is no doubt in my mind that we have that in Monti Ossenfort,” Bidwill said in a statement. “He possesses every attribute of a successful GM – passion, leadership, intelligence, work ethic – and his extensive experience has clearly prepared him for this role. We could not be more thrilled to have Monti and his family joining the Cardinals.”


Next order of business will be to have Ossenfort help Bidwill in selecting the new head coach.

Ossenfort, 44, has been in the NFL for 21 seasons and was with the Titans for three seasons after 15 with the New England Patriots. In New England he started as a scout and eventually climbed to be the team’s director of college scouting. He was with the Patriots for four of their Super Bowl wins.

Bidwill said he “preferred” to have the new GM hired and in place to help pick the new coach. Ossenfort will be introduced in a press conference on Tuesday.

Ossenfort was with the Patriots while Brian Flores — who the Cardinals will reportedly interview for the coaching vacancy — was a coach on New England’s staff. The team has also reportedly worked on getting interviews with former Saints coach Sean Payton, 49ers defensive coordinator Demeco Ryans, and is expected to interview current Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Other than Buddy Ryan’s tenure as head coach and GM in 1994 and 1995, Ossenfort is the first Cardinals’ GM to be hired from outside the organization since Joe Sullivan came from Washington and manned the role from 1973-79. Larry Wilson was in charge from 1980-1993, and after Ryan, Bob Ferguson, Rod Graves and Keim were all promoted from within the team.