The Arizona Cardinals have found their next Head Coach. Kliff Kingsbury, former Head Coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders has signed a four year deal with the club including a team option for a fifth year. After being let go by Texas Tech, Kingsbury signed on as the USC Trojan’s Offensive Coordinator but only a month passed before the 39-year-old coach began garnering attention from NFL. Kliff took part in interviews with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, but in the end the Cardinals would be the ones to close the deal.
You’ll find plenty of strong opinions regarding the hire of Kingsbury on both sides of the spectrum. Some members of the local media think, “it’s a bold move by the Cardinals. And a bad one.” Then again, those same members of the media have been wrong as many times as they’ve been right, so we will just have to wait and see.
Kingsbury may not have experience coaching in the NFL, but don’t let the local pessimist and his typewriter lead you to believe that Kingsbury is inexperienced. He played quarterback at Texas Tech where he’d win the Sammy Baugh Trophy in 2002 – an award given annually to the nation’s top collegiate passer. He was also a Head Coach for 75 games at the collegiate level. Sure, he went 35-40 in that span, but he also took a three star recruit by the name of Patrick Mahomes, and turned him in to a first round NFL draft pick. If the Cardinals need anything, it’s an offensive mind who can have a positive impact on the quarterback – something Josh Rosen so desperately needs after difficult rookie season.
Guys like Tom Brady seem to be thinking on the positive side of the spectrum. “I played with Kliff and we have been friends ever since,” Brady said on WEEI, via NBC Sports Boston. “I see him from time to time. He’s been a friend of mine for a long time. Kliff has done a great job at Texas Tech, and I know he’s at USC, but it doesn’t surprise me that a lot of teams are interested. He’s just a great football mind and will be successful wherever he’s at.”
Arizona sure hopes so.
"Really honored to be here. Excited to get to work." – @KliffKingsbury#KardsGotKliff pic.twitter.com/xlBFyKs28i
— Arizona Kardinals (@AZCardinals) January 8, 2019
