The Arizona Cardinals have fired offensive line coach and running game coordinator Sean Kugler following an incident the night before the team’s game Monday in Mexico City, a team source confirmed to The Athletic on Tuesday.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury spoke to the Arizona Republic, confirming the incident happened on Sunday night. Kugler was dismissed before Arizona’s 38-10 loss to San Francisco on Monday night.
“We relieved him of his duties, and he was sent home Monday morning prior to the game,” Kingsbury told the Republic. “It’s challenging anytime you make a staff change in that type of manner and I’m just going to leave it at that.”
No other info has been released about the nature of the incident. The Cardinals were in Mexico City for the weekend and through Monday night’s game against the 49ers. The team returned to Arizona following the game.
Arizona hired Kugler as an assistant in 2019 and he was promoted to running game coordinator in June 2021.
Kingsbury said assistant offensive line coach Brian Natkin and tight ends coach Steve Heiden will share Kugler’s duties. Offensive assistant Mike Bercovici will fill in for Heiden as tight ends coach. Kingsbury added that a search for a new running game coordinator and offensive line coach would begin after this season.
This is the second time this season the Cardinals have lost an assistant. In August, running backs coach James Saxon was placed on administrative leave after ESPN reported he had been charged with assaulting a woman in Indianapolis.
On Oct. 6, Saxon pled guilty to one count of domestic battery. He resigned from the Cardinals.
(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)