The Las Vegas Raiders are hiring former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury to be their next offensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and BOY am I excited to see that mad man let loose on this offense.
After making a (surprisingly) great call in retaining interim head coach Antonio Pierce to be the full time skipper, the Raiders made another great call with Kingsbury.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 08: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals looks on during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Kingsbury had previously interviewed for the Chicago Bears’ open offensive coordinator position and seemed to be a perfect fit for that job. After Kingsbury spent the past season as the University of Southern California’s offensive quality control coach working with the upcoming draft’s presumed number one selection quarterback, Caleb Williams, it seemed like a Bears pairing was a match made in heaven. The Bears, who hold the number one pick, SHOULD take Williams, and it would’ve made perfect sense for them to bring in a coach who he’d worked with, but obviously they’re the Bears and can’t do anything right.
Raiders are expected to hire former Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury as their offensive coordinator, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 2, 2024
But one team’s screw-up is another team’s treasure, and I think Vegas struck gold. (RELATED: Alabama’s Been Hemorrhaging So Much Talent Their Brand New Coordinator Might Be Leaving Already)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – OCTOBER 14: Senior Offensive Analyst Kliff Kingsbury of the USC Trojans arrives prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 14, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Kingsbury’s head coaching tenure with the Cardinals wasn’t particularly great — the former Texas Tech head coach finished with a 28-37-1 record. But his offensive prowess is undeniable. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray took massive leaps in his development under Kingsbury’s tutelage, joining a long list of Kliff-coached QB’s that includes Patrick Mahomes, Johnny Manziel and Case Keenum.
Kingsbury Discusses Coaching Patrick Mahomes At Tech
I think it’s a home run for a Raiders team that will likely be looking for their QB of the future in the coming years. While some of the top QB names will likely be off the board when the Raiders pick at 13 in the upcoming draft, high upside guys like Oregon’s Bo Nix or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy could be the perfect raw clay prospects for Kingsbury to mold.
And who knows? It’s not beyond the realm of possibility Vegas trades up into the top three to grab one of the more hyped prospects out of Williams, UNC’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels. It would be an aggressive move that would require giving up a ton of talent or draft capital, but these coaching moves show Vegas is ready to be aggressive. Hats off to owner Mark Davis for having some balls and really going for it.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals walks off the field following the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. The Chargers defeated the Cardinals 25-24. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)