Fansided

Kliff Kingsbury to USC is the ultimate win-win

By Brad Berreman

AMES, IA - OCTOBER 27: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders signals a play from the sidelines in the first half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 40-31 over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - OCTOBER 27: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders signals a play from the sidelines in the first half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 40-31 over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /
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Kliff Kingsbury is headed to USC as offensive coordinator, and it’s a clear win-win for both sides.

Kliff Kingsbury survived as head coach at Texas Tech a little longer than he probably should have, and a 5-7 finish this year sealed his dismissal. But his offensive acumen brought rumored options in the NFL as well as college, and after some apparent deliberation, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and Fox Sports reported Tuesday morning that Kingsbury will take over as offensive coordinator at USC.

USC head coach Clay Helton was firmly on the hot seat as the regular season wound down, and the program’s first losing season since 2000 seemed to seal his fate. But he was retained, as most of his coaching staff was let go. Helton will be one of the head coaches on the hot seat heading into 2019, but turning over the offense to Kingsbury can only help bring the Trojans back to prominence quickly after a 5-7 campaign.

The Trojans finished 11th in the Pac-12 and 84th in the country in total offense this year, and they were ninth in the conference and 92nd in the country in scoring offense. Texas Tech, in a relatively down year compared to previous campaigns, was top-20 in the country in both categories.

Kingsbury’s work with quarterbacks, Case Keenum, Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield and most recently, Patrick Mahomes, brings hope he can get the most out of USC signal caller J.T. Daniels going forward. There’s plenty of other talents in place too, and Kingsbury brings high-level acumen, an identity and some spark to an offense that needs all of those things desperately.

As further proof of Kingsbury’s standing in football coaching circles, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed he reached out with the hope he’d consider serving in some capacity on the Rams’ coaching staff.

For USC, going outside of the proverbial family (or some extension of Pete Carroll’s coaching tree) to add a different perspective to the mix can only be a good thing. If wins don’t come next year and Helton’s dismissal becomes inevitable, Kingsbury is an easy insertion as interim head coach with what should be a good chance to get the permanent post.

As for Kingsbury, he is taking a high-profile position where success will automatically elevate him in the conversation for head coaching jobs. Those potential head coaching opportunities don’t have to be limited to the college level either, as NFL teams continue to shift toward college offensive concepts and want to bring in coaches who can cultivate those things.

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Expectations are always high at USC, and the hiring of Kingsbury comes with a high level of buzz along with those expectations. Time will tell if it’s a successful marriage, even if it only lasts next season and Kingsbury moves on, but the early view is it’s a huge win-win for both sides.

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