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Kliff Kingsbury speaks out about NFL head coaching future

Brian Jones Profile Picby:Brian Jones•01/02/25•

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Kliff Kingsbury
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is ready to be an NFL head coach again. While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Kingsbury was asked if being a head coach is in his plans for the future.

“Yeah, I’m sure at some point. Yeah, at some point,” Kingsbury said. One reporter asked Kingsbury if Kingsbury has interviewed for any head coaching positions.

“I won’t comment on that,” Kingsbury said. “But, yeah. We’ll see how everything plays out. But I’m very happy here. This has been an awesome, awesome place and has really helped me kind of rekindle my love for the sport.”

Kingsbury was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022. During that time, the 45-year-old posted a 28-37-1 record and led the Cardinals to the playoffs once (2021).

Kliff Kingsbury talks about setting a ‘foundation’ as an NFL head coach

Kingsbury also talked about what he would do differently if he became a head coach again. “Yeah, I think the first one, I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” Kingsbury said. “Really, coming from college, I had bounced around on teams as a player, but not as a coach on any level. So, to come in there, I don’t think I set the foundation the way I would do it — after watching [Dan Quinn] and how he’s set the foundation from Day 1, and it was: These are the standards, this where we won’t compromise, this is what we’re going to be.

“I definitely could’ve done a better job of that. And once you don’t lay it out like that, it’s hard to put it back in, you know? It’s hard to reset it. And I think that’s where he’s done such a great job is [saying], this is what we’re going to be. From Day 1, there was no ifs, ands, or buts. And the guy’s bought in and he’s led in an incredible way by doing that.”

Kingsbury was hired by the Commanders this year after spending the 2023 season as a senior offensive analyst with USC. Before taking the Cardinals job, Kingsbury was the head coach at Texas Tech from 2013 to 2018. In his six seasons with the Red Raiders, Kingsbury tallied a 35-40 record and led them to three bowl appearances.