The Arizona Cardinals reportedly hire Todd Bowles as their defensive coordinator. (Getty Images)

Todd Bowles was hired as the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Saturday night, replacing Ray Horton who was released this week, reports NFL.com.

This is Bowles’ first job as defensive coordinator, but he has had defensive jobs with the Miami Dolphins from 2008-11 and last season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He took over the Eagles defense on an interim basis when coordinator Juan Castillo was let go midseason.

“It needed to be a football team that was directed by me,” new Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said Friday. “And any time there’s carry over, you don’t want guys being able to go somewhere else to voice their opinion.”

The Cardinals finished 12th in total defense last season, 28th in rush defense, 5th in pass defense and allowed 22 points per game.

The Philadelphia Eagles have added Todd Bowles to their defensive staff as a secondary coach beneath Juan Castillo, according to CSN Philadelphia. Castillo will remain as the club’s defensive coordinator.

Bowles has spent the last four seasons as the Dolphin’s assistant head coach/secondary coach. He took over as interim coach for the Dolphins after Tony Sparano was fired and helped the team end the season with a 2-1 record. Prior to his coaching career he spent a eight season in the NFL where he made a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXII.

The Eagles finished the 2011 season with an 8-8 record and finished second in the NFC conference.

The St. Louis Rams are reportedly interested in interviewing Todd Bowles for their head coaching vacancy, according to a tweet from Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Bowles, 48, was named as the interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins after the club fired Tony Sparano Dec. 12. It was his first and only experience at any level as a head coach.

Bowles had previously served as the Dolphins secondary coach, a position he had held since 2008. Prior to that he served as the secondary coach with the Dallas Cowboys.

Bowles played as a safety for the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers from 1986-1993.