Bickley: Bruce Arians proof that Arizona Cardinals' luck is changing

The Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda club is full of bitterness. Members live in the past. Regret is the only requirement for admission.

Fortunately, Cardinals fans no longer apply.

Arizona's NFL team has won 12 of its past 15 games. A franchise-defining mistake (drafting Levi Brown over Adrian Peterson in 2007) no longer seems so egregious, given the running back's current off-field troubles.

Meanwhile, the hiring of Bruce Arians might represent the best stroke of fortune in recent memory. For that, maybe we owe a debt of gratitude to former head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

"The hard thing about coming here was that I had a lot of friends on the (former) staff: Kevin Spencer, Russ Grimm, a lot of guys I won a Super Bowl with," Arians said. "It was very, very hard for me to even take that interview because I knew I was going to have to let them go.

"Finally, I called Kenny, Whisenhunt, who is a dear friend. I said, 'Hey man, they want me to come out there.' He said, 'You need to.' He really talked me into taking it."

The story of Arians keeps resonating, and not just in the desert. With Marc Trestman under fire in Chicago, Bears fans are currently wondering how their organization passed on an impact coach like Arians, who rose to stardom a few hours away in Indianapolis, who is cast in the George Halas-Mike Ditka archetype that Chicagoans adore.

So how did a perfect marriage never happen?

"It seemed awkward in Chicago because they wanted me to keep some of their (assistant coaches), which wasn't going to happen," Arians said.

According to multiple sources, there were many forces at work.

The Bears wanted Arians to do one thing: fix quarterback Jay Cutler. They desperately wanted to keep Rod Marinelli as defensive coordinator, believing that side of that ball needed no reform. That was a pipe dream from the start, as Marinelli was extremely close to the fired Lovie Smith and wasn't going to remain in Chicago under any circumstance.

Along the way, a high-ranking Bears official fell in love with Trestman, who kept two members of Smith's staff: defensive backs coach Jon Hoke and defensive line coach Mike Phair, who was fired after last season.

Some 1,500 miles away in Tempe, the Cardinals were plotting their own reform, making a move that would change their own history. They hired Steve Keim, an aggressive, hugely competent football man and a big fan of Arians. He texted the coach's agent the next morning, while Arians was interviewing with the Bears.

Keim wanted to know if it was too late to schedule an interview. The reply?

He hasn't signed anywhere yet.

"After Chicago made their decision — we got that call about one o'clock in the morning — my agent and I were talking," Arians said. "He said, 'You've got to take this thing in Arizona. Go out there and talk to them.' I said, 'You know, I really don't want to because of my friends (on the Cardinals' staff).' "

Eventually, Arians called Whisenhunt, and here we are.

Maybe it's not surprising that Arians has rapidly ascended near the top of his profession. He has great experience, served under great coaches and has a great record developing young quarterbacks.

Arians is not one to burn the midnight oil. He keeps a weekly date night with his wife. Yet somehow, he and his staff are always prepared and never out-schemed. That's a tribute to their knowledge, their efficiency and the balance they strike in their lives.

He's assembled a diverse staff of great teachers, full of youthful exuberance and wise old men. He has assistants born in six different decades ranging from 1930-1980. He believes in more teachers and smaller classrooms, employing 23 assistants to the 16 that served under Whisenhunt. The results speak for themselves.

"We're not grinders," Arians said. "We're not going to be here until midnight on Tuesday. I want my guys fresh to teach on Wednesday morning."

The popular head coach is fast becoming the face of franchise, taking the torch from Larry Fitzgerald. Since taking over as interim coach in Indianapolis, his record is 24-10. That is simply amazing, and the other day, a media member from Seattle wondered if Arians is the best coach in the NFL.

This much is certain: When it comes to lucky bounces, Arians ranks among the best in team history, along with signing Kurt Warner off the scrap heap and hosting the 2009 NFC Championship game.

Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Follow him at twitter.com/danbickley. Listen to "Bickley and Marotta," weekdays from 12-2 p.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.