Another candidate in the Arizona Cardinals‘ defensive coordinator search has emerged. NFL insider Mike Garafolo reports that the Cardinals have requested to interview Texans secondary coach Dino Vasso.
Vasso, 38, was named as a person of interest for Arizona’s defensive coordinator job by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. He was a rising star in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ coaching staff under well-respected defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. However, a coaching change in 2020 resulted in Vasso moving on to the Texans.
Vasso becomes the third coach that the Cardinals have requested an interview for their defensive coordinator opening.
Why Dino Vasso Makes Sense for the Cardinals
Breaking down the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator search, two of their top three candidates have a secondary background.
Vasso has shown the ability to get the most out of his players. Three members of the Texans’ starting secondary were invited to the Pro Bowl.
- CB Darryl Stingley Jr.
- CB Kamari Lassiter
- S Caden Bullock
Stingley was also named First Team All-Pro.
The Cardinals are hoping to get similar results after investing heavily in their own secondary. Budda Baker is in the second year of a three-year, $54 million extension he signed in December 2024. General manager Monti Ossenfort has also spent a Day 2 pick on a cornerback in all three of his drafts.
Ossenfort has spent the last three offseasons improving the defense’s talent level. He’s drafted heavily on the defensive side of the ball, bolstering the defensive line and the secondary. It could very well be just landing the right set of coaches to develop a unit greater than the sum of its parts.
Vasso doesn’t have the same obvious link to Mike LaFleur as Aubrey Pleasant does. But he does have a mutual acquaintance with the Cardinals’ new head coach. Vasso is currently on Demeco Ryans’ staff in Houston. Ryans was the linebackers coach with the San Francisco 49ers while LaFleur was their offensive passing game coordinator.
Cardinals Defensive Coordinator Search Recap
The first coach of interest for the Cardinals for their defensive coordinator role was Gus Bradley. The veteran defensive coordinator picked the Tennessee Titans’ job instead, due to his long-standing relationship with the Titans’ new head coach, Robert Saleh.
With the experienced defensive coordinators turning them down, Arizona has redirected its focus. Their next batch of candidates for the role are all highly-regarded position coaches ready to take the next step.
Of the three coaches the Cardinals requested to interview, only Charlie Bullen has previous play-calling experience. He previously coached in Arizona, working under Vance Joseph from 2019 to 2022.
Bullen got a six-week run as the interim defensive coordinator with the New York Giants in 2025. His quality results in that time period have him as a hot coaching candidate for a full-time role.
Pairing a first-time head coach with a first-time defensive coordinator can be a risky combo. The conventional wisdom is that a first-time head coach should bring in an experienced option on the other side of ball. That was the combination that worked under LaFleur’s former boss Sean McVay.
But the example in Jacksonville serves as a counter, with Liam Coen hiring Anthony Campanile. The two coaches propelled the Jaguars to a 13-4 record and an NFC South title.
The main selling point the Cardinals need to make is that the talent is better than the results. That they’re the missing piece to turn this group of players into a Top-10 unit, then future head coach consideration. Of the 10 head coaching jobs that opened up, three went to defensive coordinators.
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