Kliff Kingsbury coaching timeline: How Commanders offensive coordinator went from Texas Tech to NFL | Sporting News Canada

It wasn’t too long ago that Kliff Kingsbury was in charge of the Cardinals, but this NFL season, he’s on the sidelines for the Commanders.

Washington revamped its offense by selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels second overall in April, but before then, the team hired Kingsbury to run its offense.

The decision to hire Kingsbury likely had a lot to do with his experience working with skilled quarterbacks, and his entire background is on the offensive side of football.

With some fans potentially unaware that Kingsbury was back in the league in 2024, here’s a look at his coaching history between both college football and the NFL.

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Kliff Kingsbury coaching timeline

2008-2009: Houston Cougars, Offensive quality control coach

Following a playing career as a quarterback that included four record-setting years at Texas Tech, being drafted by the Patriots, and spending time with five NFL teams, Kingsbury joined Houston as a quality control coach in 2008.

At the time, Case Keenum was Houston’s starting quarterback. Keenum would set all kinds of records for the Cougars and the NCAA in his time with the program. He finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2009. 

To date, Keenum has the most career completions, passing yards, and 300-plus passing yard games in NCAA Division I history. 

2010-2011: Houston Cougars, Quarterbacks coach

The success of Houston’s offense and Keenum earned Kingsbury a promotion, as he was named quarterbacks coach in 2010. He also earned co-offensive coordinator duties, which he split with Jason Phillips in 2011.

With Kingsbury and Phillips running the offense, Houston led the country in points per game (49.3) and total yards per game (599.1). As Kingsbury proved himself as a strong offensive mind, he kept moving up the coaching ladder.

2012: Texas A&M Aggies, Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach

Kingsbury became Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator in 2012, taking on that role full-time for the first time in his coaching career.

That season, he coached Johnny Manziel to the Heisman Trophy, and the Aggies ranked top-five nationally in points per game (44.5), passing yards per game (355.9) and total yards per game (558.5).

2013-2018: Texas Tech Red Raiders, Head coach

Leading some of the nation’s top offenses quickly earned Kingsbury a head coaching job after just one season at Texas A&M. 

After the 2012 season, his alma mater, Texas Tech, hired him on a five-year deal as head coach. Just 33 years old at the time, Kingsbury became the third-youngest head coach in college football.

Continuing to coach quarterbacks that would later become big names in the NFL, Kingsbury picked Baker Mayfield, who was then a walk-on true freshman, to start the season opener in 2013. Mayfield earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week in a 41-23 win for the Red Raiders, but an injury later gave Davis Webb the starting job.

The Red Raiders became an AP Poll Top 25 team in September 2013, and they started the season 7-0 behind their first-year head coach. However, Texas Tech lost its final five games, and Mayfield later transferred to Oklahoma. 

Kingsbury signed a contract extension with Texas Tech in 2014, upping him to a $3.5 million salary with the deal set to expire in 2020. 

Patrick Mahomes was the Red Raiders’ quarterback from 2014-2016, but the team’s defense struggled, leading it to finish the next few seasons with some losing records and a 7-6 record in 2015. 

Kingsbury was let go by Texas Tech after the 2018 season.

2019-2022: Arizona Cardinals, Head coach

After originally joining USC as its offensive coordinator but later backing out, Kingsbury was hired as the Cardinals’ next head coach in January 2019.

Making the jump to the NFL despite Texas Tech’s overall struggles in his past few seasons, Kingsbury was viewed as a top-tier offensive mind and perfect fit with perspective No. 1 pick, Kyler Murray, who the Cardinals eventually selected.

The best finish Arizona had under Kingsbury came in 2021 when it made the playoffs at 11-6, but the Cardinals lost to the Rams in the playoffs that season. In 2022, Kingsbury signed an extension with the team, but after a 4-13 record the next season, the Cardinals fired him.

2023: USC Trojans, Senior offensive assistant

After his head coaching stints in college football and the NFL, Kingsbury spent a year at USC as a senior offensive assistant under Lincoln Riley. 

As Kingsbury coached yet another Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in Caleb Williams, the Trojans finished 8-5 on the season.

2024-present: Washington Commanders, Offensive coordinator

Kingsbury was hired as the Commanders’ next offensive coordinator in February. Having worked with a dynamic two-way talent at quarterback in Murray before, he brings an experienced mind as Washington gets adjusted to Daniels’ play style.

MORE: How fast is Jayden Daniels compared to other quarterbacks?

Kliff Kingsbury coaching record

While the experiences came at two different levels of football, as a head coach between Texas Tech and the Cardinals, Kingsbury has an overall record of 63-77-1. He’s spent time as an offensive mind for various other programs, but teams with Kingsbury as their head coach have an overall losing record.

Here’s the breakdown of that record between Kingsbury’s college football and NFL head coaching experience.