Tag: Kliff Kingsbury

Former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury to interview for Bears’ OC job

Kingsbury is on USC’s offensive staff and coached QB Caleb Williams, the player largely expected to be selected first overall in the draft.

Kliff Kingsbury, hired by the Arizona Cardinals as their head coach after four seasons a year ago, could find himself back in the NFL soon.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kingsbury is expected to interview for the Chicago Bears’ vacant offensive coordinator position. The Bears fired OC Luke Getsy after the season.

Kingsbury currently is a senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach at USC.

The possibility of Kingsbury landing the OC job with the Bears has a number of points of intrigue for the Cardinals.

  • Kingsbury’s contract with the Cardinals runs another four seasons and, while it is believed that his contract requires him to actively seek an NFL job, if he does land other employment in the league, the salary he makes is offset instead of added. So if he is scheduled to make $7.5 million from the Cardinals and he gets paid $1 million as a coordinator in the league, the Cardinals only need to pay him $6.5 million.
  • The Bears have the No. 1 pick in the draft. Kingsbury coached USC QB Caleb Williams, largely believed to be the No. 1 quarterback in this draft class. Whoever ultimately drafts first overall will likely select Williams. If the Bears hire Kingsbury to be their offensive coordinator, it could signal their plan to draft Williams and move on from Justin Fields.
  • If the Bears select Williams first overall, because the Commanders and Patriots, who have the second and third overall picks, likely are also picking quarterbacks, the Cardinals should be able to land Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick.
  • The Cardinals play the Bears in 2024 at home. If they hire Kingsbury, it would bring him back to Arizona for a game.

So should Cardinals fans care whether Kingsbury gets that job? Absolutely.

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This Bears OC interview could impact Patriots’ 2024 draft pick

Does this interview signal the Bears are drafting a QB?

The New England Patriots’ chances of landing one of the top-two quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL draft are directly tied to what the Chicago Bears decide to do with the No. 1 overall pick.

If they move on from Justin Fields, they’ll use the pick to select their next quarterback of the future, or they could keep Fields and use the pick on Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. There’s also the option of trading down and accumulating more draft picks.

But on Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Bears are interviewing USC senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach Kliff Kingsbury for an offensive coordinator role. The interview is particularly interesting considering Kingsbury worked directly with Caleb Williams, who is expected to be the top quarterback taken in the draft.

If the Bears take Williams and the Washington Commanders take Drake Maye, the Patriots would be left with deciding between drafting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Harrison or one of the top-two offensive tackles, Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu.

All eyes are on the Bears for a decision that could end up shaping the entire draft board.

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Eagles GM Howie Roseman, HC Nick Sirianni reaching out to coordinator candidates

After finishing their exit meeting, Eagles GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni have begun reaching out to potential coordinator candidates

It appears that Nick Sirianni will be safe and keep his job as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles after meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman.

The same can’t be said for his assistants on both sides of the football.

Dianna Russini reports that Roseman and Sirianni have contacted potential coordinator candidates on the offensive and defensive sides.

Sirianni gets much credit for the Eagles’ success over the past three seasons.

Still, after a late-season meltdown that saw the Eagles go 1-6 in their final seven games, including the playoffs, the head coach and his assistant coaches expected were on the hot seat.

Philadelphia’s third-year head coach has far exceeded expectations, but it’s clear that Gannon and Steichen played far more prominent roles than we thought.

We previewed potential offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator candidates, and as the process began, the dominoes started to fall.

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10 offensive coordinator candidates the Eagles could target if Brian Johnson departs

We’re looking at ten offensive coordinator candidates the Philadelphia Eagles could target if Brian Johnson departs or is fired

Nick Sirianni officially has his own coaching tree after the Cardinals hired Jonathan Gannon and the Colts hired Shane Steichen in the 2023 coaching carousel.

Sirianni rightfully gets a lot of credit for the Eagles’ success.

Still, after a late-season meltdown that saw the Eagles go 1-6 in their final seven games, including the playoffs, the head coach and his assistant coaches could be on the hot seat.

Philadelphia’s third-year head coach has far exceeded expectations, but it’s clear that Gannon and Steichen played far more significant roles than we thought.

Who is most likely to take over as the next head coach for the Washington Huskies?

A look at who the most likely candidates might be for the next head coach of the Washington Huskies after Kalen DeBoer’s departure.

We normally try not to concern ourselves with the coaching hires of other teams, but when it’s happening at a school that directly affects the Oregon Ducks, we’re going to take notice.

That obviously was the case earlier this week when the Alabama Crimson Tide were looking to replace Nick Saban — a hire that we were right on from the very start — and it is the case once again as the Washington Huskies look to replace Kalen DeBoer, who took his talents south to Tuscaloosa for the 2024 season.

The Huskies need to make a big-time hire, but the odds may be stacked against them. Many of the best players from the Pac-12 championship team in 2023 have announced they are heading to the NFL this offseason. A handful of others have entered the transfer portal. On top of that, Washington is now late to board the coaching carousel in college football. While the job could be big enough to lure top coaches from other schools, it will not exactly be easy. Washington is headed to the Big Ten next season, and the cupboards are looking relatively bare.

So who ultimately might the Huskies be able to land? These are a few candidates that we are hearing are in the running:

Rumor mill: USC offensive assistant coach Kliff Kingsbury mentioned as a candidate for Washington head coaching job

Kliff Kingsbury to Seattle and the Big Ten? That would be quite a development.

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, who took the Huskies to a Pac-12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game this past season, was named the next head coach at Alabama, the school announced on Friday.

Who will be the lead candidate to replace DeBoer at U-Dub?

According to a tweet by high-profile NFL reporter Dov Kleiman, Kliff Kingsbury is reportedly being targeted as a candidate to be the Huskies‘ next head coach. The 44-year-old currently works as a senior offensive analyst and quarterback coach for the USC Trojans under Lincoln Riley. However, no official statement regarding Kingsbury’s situation with Washington has been released.

Following his stint as a player and quarterback, Kingsbury began his coaching career in 2008 with the Houston Cougars as their offensive quality control coach. After two seasons, he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2010.

After spending two more seasons with the Cougars, Kingsbury joined Texas A&M in 2012 for one season as the Aggies’ offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. Then in 2013, he got his first head coaching job with Texas Tech. He spent six seasons as the Red Raiders’ head coach and compiled a 35-40 record.

Kingsbury then spent four seasons as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022 before being fired in January of last year and then spending 2023 at USC.

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Kliff Kingsbury will not be Oklahoma offensive coordinator; Sooners find replacements for Jeff Lebby

One door closes for Kliff.

Kliff Kingsbury was never the favorite for the open offensive coordinator position at the University of Oklahoma, but his name did come up over the weekend. Now we can put to rest the idea that he will go from USC to Oklahoma, known around here as the “inverted Lincoln Riley.”

Sooners Wire has more on the men who will replace OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who took the open head coaching job at Mississippi State a few days ago:

“According to a report from SoonerScoop, the Sooners have named Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley co-offensive coordinators. Littrell and Finley take the reins of one of the best offenses in college football with some of the best young skill talent in the nation.

“Littrell has long been considered the favorite for the job after joining the Sooners as an offensive analyst. Finley, the Sooners tight ends coach, has a growing reputation inside the program as an offensive mind. The two now set out to forge Oklahoma’s offensive identity in the wake of Lebby’s departure.”

Kingsbury could be in the mix for the open head coaching job at the University of Houston, but he is not the clear-cut favorite there, either.

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Could Kliff Kingsbury jump from USC to Oklahoma to become Sooners’ offensive coordinator?

This would be something.

A Hollywood scriptwriter would view this as way too over the top and unrealistic. Lincoln Riley, the successful head coach at the University of Oklahoma, goes to USC and shocks the college football world. He hires Kliff Kingsbury, who — like Riley — was a quarterback at Texas Tech under head coach Mike Leach, who worked for Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, the man who eventually gave the keys to the OU program to Lincoln Riley.

Kingsbury, after being hired by Riley at USC — at a time when Riley and USC are loathed by Oklahoma fans due to Riley’s abrupt departure from the Sooners — could then become Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator, the same position Riley had under Bob Stoops before being elevated to OU’s head coach.

Again: It’s too unrealistic to ever dream of.

Or is it?

Some Oklahoma fans think that after Sooner offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby was hired as the head coach at Mississippi State on Sunday, Kliff Kingsbury would be a great choice for OU as the new offensive coordinator for Brent Venables.

Want proof? We have it. See for yourself:

USC’s Kliff Kingsbury emerges as candidate for Houston job after Dana Holgorsen is fired

Notable: Kingsbury did previously coach at Houston as an assistant.

The University of Houston fired head coach Dana Holgorsen on Sunday morning. The spins of the coaching carousel are creating all sorts of possibilities, and some of them could involve USC.

One is that Kliff Kingsbury could become the next Houston head coach.

Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle included Kingsbury on a list of candidates to replace Holgorsen:

“He’s familiar with UH as a former co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2010-11) and served as OC/QBs coach at Texas A&M during Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Trophy season in 2012. Along with Manziel, Kingsbury has worked with notable quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Caleb Williams, Case Keenum, Kyler Murray and Patrick Mahomes. One bonus: Kingsbury is still being paid from his NFL job until 2027 after being fired just 10 months after signing a six-year extension.”

Reactions to the Kingsbury link at Houston are pouring in:

Kilff Kingsbury is not a top-tier candidate for the Texas A&M job

Kingsbury is best viewed as a candidate for a Power Five coordinator job or a Group of Five head coaching job.

Kliff Kingsbury is a fascinating figure to watch as the coaching carousel begins to spin. The former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals has spent the 2023 season as an offensive analyst and quarterback coach for the USC Trojans.

Kingsbury was fired by the Cardinals in January after a 4-13 season. He went 28-37-1 in four years with Arizona, making the playoffs once.

Kingsbury spent six seasons as Texas Tech‘s head coach, going 35-40 from 2013 through 2018 and guiding the school to three bowl games. He also spent two seasons as Houston‘s co-offensive coordinator and one season in the  role at Texas A&M.

Kingsbury is known as a quarterback guru, having a hand in developing quarterbacks such as Heisman winners Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, and Caleb Williams, along with NFL players Patrick Mahomes, Case Keenum, Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen.

Kingsbury’s contract with the Cardinals ran through 2027. He got fired 10 months after signing a six-year extension. That means that the vast portion of his income is still expected to come from the NFL.

While “Coach Handsome” is a candidate at Texas A&M, he only has an outside chance at the job. There are way stronger and more qualified candidates for the Aggies’ head coaching job.

Mike Elko, Mike Norvell, Kalen DeBoer, Jeff Traylor, Jonathan Smith and Urban Meyer are more likely candidates. The second tier starts with Kingbury, Dan Quinn, Glenn Schumann, Sherrone Moore and Jedd Fisch.

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