Kliff Kingsbury is a former American football quarterback and current head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas Tech University, where he set numerous school and NCAA records. Kingsbury was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft but never played a regular-season game for them. He went on to play for several NFL teams, including the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, and New York Jets, but his playing career was short-lived due to injuries.
After retiring from playing, Kingsbury began his coaching career as an offensive quality control coach at the University of Houston in 2008. He then served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas A&M University from 2012 to 2013, where he helped develop quarterback Johnny Manziel into a Heisman Trophy winner. Kingsbury returned to his alma mater, Texas Tech, in 2013 as the head coach, where he led the team to several bowl game appearances and produced several NFL draft picks.
In 2019, Kingsbury was hired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, becoming the youngest head coach in the NFL at the time. He inherited a struggling team but quickly made an impact, leading the Cardinals to a 5-10-1 record in his first season. In 2020, Kingsbury and the Cardinals improved to an 8-8 record, narrowly missing the playoffs. He has been praised for his innovative offensive schemes and ability to develop young quarterbacks, including Kyler Murray, whom he coached to the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2019.
Throughout his career, Kingsbury has been known for his offensive prowess and ability to develop quarterbacks. He has been credited with helping to revolutionize the spread offense in college football and has been a mentor to several successful NFL quarterbacks, including Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield. Kingsbury's coaching career is still in its early stages, but he has already made a significant impact on the game of football.
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