Kliff Kingsbury becomes new Arizona Cardinals head coach
By Dylan Broady
Kliff Kingsbury has had a busy couple of months. After taking the USC offensive coordinator job, he is making the leap for the NFL.
Kliff Kingsbury is a great hire for the Arizona Cardinals and their young offense. Kingsbury, who spent less than a month with USC as the offensive coordinator before going to the NFL, is now on his way to Arizona to help a young Josh Rosen take the next steps in his fledgling career.
Many view Kingsbury as an up-and-coming offensive mind who coached up Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech and is friends with Sean McVay. With so many franchises taking chances on young, innovative minds, the Cardinals are hoping they changed their franchise around.
Per sources, Kliff Kingsbury is finalizing a deal to become the Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinals. @nflnetwork @gmfb @NFLonFOX
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) January 8, 2019
However, Kingsbury doesn’t boast huge college success as a head coach. He only went 35-40 at Texas Tech before being fired this fall. Still, with such a young team ready for Rosen to become a quality quarterback, Kingsbury will be welcomed with open arms.
Of all the reasons to believe in the Kingsbury hire, Rosen will benefit from this move the most. Rosen threw for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 14 games as a rookie under head coach Steve Wilks. Wilks, who came over after being the defensive coordinator in Carolina, fired Mike McCoy halfway through the year to promote Byron Leftwich. Now both are gone, putting Rosen on his third coordinator in a single calendar year.
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This team and entire franchise desperately needed a major change in philosophy. Kingsbury will bring that, but will he bring a quality coaching staff with him? Kingsbury has never coached in the NFL, making it a challenge to put together a quality group around him.