Ken Whisenhunt

Ken Whisenhunt was born on February 28, 1962, in Augusta, Georgia. He pursued his education at the Academy of Richmond County for high school before attending Georgia Tech, where he played college football from 1980 to 1984. Whisenhunt excelled as a tight end, earning an honorable mention All-American title and first-team all-ACC honors in his final two seasons. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in civil engineering. His professional playing career in the NFL spanned nine seasons as a tight end. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the twelfth round of the 1985 NFL draft, playing with them for four years (1985-1988). Following his time with the Falcons, he had stints with the Washington Redskins (1989-1990) and the New York Jets (1991-1992), accumulating 62 receptions for 596 yards and 5 touchdowns during his playing career.

Whisenhunt transitioned into coaching in 1995 at Vanderbilt University, where he coached special teams, tight ends, and running backs. His NFL coaching career began in 1997 as a tight ends coach for the Baltimore Ravens. He then moved to the Cleveland Browns in 1999 and the New York Jets in 2000 as a special teams coach. A significant career milestone came with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he served as a tight ends coach from 2001-2003 before being promoted to offensive coordinator from 2004-2006. During this period, he was instrumental in the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL victory in 2006, where his innovative play-calling, including a wide receiver reverse pass for a touchdown, was a key factor.

His success led to his first NFL head coaching role with the Arizona Cardinals in 2007. Whisenhunt guided the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history (Super Bowl XLIII) during the 2008 season and achieved two NFC West Division championships (2008, 2009). He later served as head coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2014-2015. After various offensive coordinator roles with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and analyst positions at Penn State and Alabama, Whisenhunt was appointed head coach of the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League in 2024. He resigned in April 2025 and is currently an assistant coach at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Tennessee. Whisenhunt is an Eagle Scout and an avid golfer, reflecting a disciplined approach in both his professional and personal life.