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A miracle finish on Sunday may have helped the Green Bay Packers, but it didn't save Dave McGinnis' job.
The Arizona Cardinals on Monday fired McGinnis, who had a 17-40 record with the team since taking over as coach during the 2000 season.
The Cardinals finished a disappointing 4-12 campaign with a thrilling come-from-behind 18-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Arizona scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes and pulled off the improbable win when Nathan Poole made a leaping 28-yard touchdown catch on the game's final play.
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The catch knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs and put the Packers into the
postseason as NFC North Division champions.
But the win did nothing for McGinnis, who had a year left on his contract, and even cost the Cardinals the first overall pick in the 2004 draft. They slipped two spots to No. 3.
"We need to change," said Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill in a statement released by the team. "Our slide to 4-12 this season and the non-competitive nature of many of the losses was not acceptable."
Eight of Arizona's losses were by 17 points or more. The Cardinals had the dubious distinction of finishing last in points scored (225) and points allowed (452).
Arizona was 3-5 at the midway point, but then lost seven straight before finishing the season with the dramatic win over Minnesota.
Jim Fassel, who was fired as coach of the New York Giants earlier in the month, and former Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green are believed to be the leading candidates. Fassel was the Cardinals offensive coordinator in 1996 before taking the Giants job. Green is a longtime friend of Arizona vice president of football operations Rod Graves.
Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwill also confirmed on Monday that the team will contact New England Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson this week.
The 52-year-old McGinnis became interim coach midway through the 2000 season after Vince Tobin was fired. He went 1-8 the rest of the way, but was popular with the players, fans and media and was given the full-time job.
But after a promising 7-9 campaign in 2001, the Cardinals regressed from 5-11 in 2002 to 4-12 this past season.
Offensive coordinator Jerry
Sullivan and defensive coordinator Larry Marmie were also dismissed despite
having two years left on their contracts.