What is Ken Whisenhunt's Net Worth and Salary?
Ken Whisenhunt is an American professional football coach and former professional football player who has a net worth of $12 million. At the peak of his NFL coaching career, he earned an annual salary of $5.75 million.
Whisenhunt is best known for his tenure as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (2007-2012) and Tennessee Titans (2014-2015). His most significant achievement was leading the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history during the 2008 season. He won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 as an offensive coordinator. Throughout his coaching career, Whisenhunt gained recognition for his offensive expertise and ability to develop quarterbacks, including his work with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh and Kurt Warner in Arizona.
Contracts and Salary
In January 2007, Ken signed a 4-year, $10 million contract with Arizona. In February 2010, he signed a 4-year, $23 million extension. The average annual value of this contract worked out to an annual salary of $5.75 million.
College Career
Ken Whisenhunt was born in Augusta, Georgia, on February 28, 1962. He played college football at Georgia Tech from 1980 to 1984, where he excelled as a tight end. During his time with the Yellow Jackets, he demonstrated both his receiving abilities and blocking skills, earning recognition as a reliable offensive player. His performance in college laid the foundation for his future NFL career and helped develop his understanding of offensive schemes that would later benefit his coaching career.
NFL Playing Career
After college, Whisenhunt was selected in the twelfth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He went on to play nine seasons in the NFL as a tight end, primarily serving as a backup and special teams player. His playing career included stints with the Falcons, Washington Redskins, and New York Jets. While he wasn't a star player, his time in the NFL provided valuable experience and knowledge that would prove beneficial in his future coaching career. He finished his playing career with 62 receptions for 601 yards and six touchdowns.
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Coaching Career
Whisenhunt's coaching career began in the college ranks as an assistant at Vanderbilt University in 1995. He quickly transitioned to the NFL, working his way up through various assistant coaching positions. His first significant NFL role came as tight ends coach with the Baltimore Ravens in 1997. He gained prominence as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2004-2006), helping the team win Super Bowl XL.
His breakthrough came in 2007 when he was hired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. During his tenure in Arizona, he led the team to their first Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XLIII, though they ultimately lost to his former team, the Steelers. Under his leadership, the Cardinals won two NFC West titles and made three playoff appearances. He was fired after the 2012 season following three consecutive non-winning seasons.
After a brief return to being an offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers in 2013, Whisenhunt was hired as head coach of the Tennessee Titans in 2014. However, his tenure in Tennessee was less successful, and he was fired midway through his second season after compiling a 3-20 record.
Following his time with the Titans, Whisenhunt served as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers (2016-2019), where he continued to demonstrate his offensive expertise before being relieved of his duties during the 2019 season.
Personal Life & Real Estate
Ken and his wife Alice have two children. In August 2017, Ken and Alice paid $1.575 million for a two-acre lakefront property in Clayton, Georgia. They proceeded to construct an 11,000-square-foot mansion on the property. Today the estimated value of their home is perhaps as much as $6 million.
