Cardinals hire ex-Broncos coach Joseph as DC

Former Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph will serve as the Arizona Cardinals' defensive coordinator, the team announced Friday.

Joseph, the first significant hire for new coach Kliff Kingsbury, is expected to transition the Cardinals to a 3-4 defense from the 4-3 defense the team ran last season under then-coach Steve Wilks.

It had been speculated the Cardinals would follow the Los Angeles Rams' lead of pairing a young, offensive-minded head coach with a coordinator with head coaching experience, as the Rams did with Sean McVay and Wade Phillips.

And that's just what they got with Joseph, 46, who compiled an 11-21 record in two seasons with the Broncos. He had extensive experience as a defensive backs coach before the Miami Dolphins named him defensive coordinator in 2016.

The Cardinals also announced the return of former defensive coordinator Bill Davis (2009-10), who will coach the linebackers. He held that position the past two seasons at Ohio State, but new head coach Ryan Day chose not to retain him.

In addition, the Cardinals said special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers will stay in that position under Kingsbury.

--Field Level Media