When the Washington Commanders visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, their offense will be led by coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, one of the brightest offensive minds in football. With Kingsbury playing a major role in the development of Jayden Daniels and the resurgence of the Commanders, let’s revisit his failed tenure with the Arizona Cardinals.
Why Did the Cardinals Fire Kliff Kingsbury?
In late 2018, Kingsbury joined USC to be the Trojans’ new offensive coordinator. But he resigned a month later to pursue NFL opportunities, a search that ended with Kingsbury landing a head coaching gig with the Cardinals.
Arizona posted a losing record in Kingsbury’s first season before finishing .500 in 2020. After a playoff berth in 2021, the future seemed bright for Kingsbury and the Cardinals.
However, the Cardinals finished last in the NFC West in 2022, and Kingsbury was fired after the season. He then spent a year with USC as a senior offensive assistant before joining the Commanders in 2024.
So, what led to Kingsbury’s firing? Well, it’s complicated.
First of all, the results weren’t great. The Cardinals earned a winning record in just one of Kingsbury’s four seasons on the job, and Arizona’s offense significantly regressed in his final season.
In 2021, the Cardinals ranked 11th in scoring, eighth in yards per game, and 10th in both rushing and passing yards per game. In 2022, Arizona plummeted to 21st in scoring, 22nd in yards, 18th in passing yards, and 22nd in rushing yards.
However, Kingsbury’s dismissal wasn’t just about wins, losses, and statistics. His relationship with franchise quarterback Kyler Murray also played a crucial role.
In December of 2022, ESPN published a scathing story about the deteriorating relationship between Murray and Kingsbury.
“It’s not good,” a Cardinals source told ESPN. “It seems particularly bad this year.”
“They’re cordial,” another team source said. “It’s not the relationship you want from your quarterback and coach.”
Murray, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 of the 2022 campaign, signed a lucrative contract extension the previous summer. The Cardinals couldn’t have moved on even if they’d wanted to, leaving Kingsbury as the fall guy.
General manager Steve Keim resigned after Kingsbury was fired. Months later, in a team-produced video, Murray said he approved the leadership changes.
“I’m thinking of stuff that I wasn’t part of, like the draft, who we were gonna get, young players coming out,” Murray said. “The whole [2022 season] was [expletive]. It happened for a reason. The things we were doing weren’t sustainable for success. It was necessary and, in turn, good will come out of what happened.”
Kingsbury’s Record in Arizona
Here’s a full breakdown of Kingsbury’s coaching record with the Cardinals.
- 2019: 5-10-1, fourth in NFC West
- 2020: 8-8, third in NFC West
- 2021: 11-6, second in NFC West (0-1 in playoffs)
- 2022: 4-13, fourth in NFC West
- Overall regular season: 28-37-1
- Overall playoffs: 0-1
Kingsbury’s Coaching Timeline
Kingsbury, a former professional quarterback, played for the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He also spent time with two Canadian Football League franchises and played one season in the now-defunct NFL Europe.
He began his coaching career as an offensive assistant at the University of Houston. After four seasons with the Cougars, he joined Texas A&M in 2012 as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Kingsbury left for Texas Tech in 2013 to become the Red Raiders’ next head coach and held the job through the 2018 season before bolting for the NFL. From 2014 through 2016, Kingsbury coached quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Kingsbury then spent the next four years with the Cardinals before working for USC in 2023. Given his success this season with the Commanders, it’s fair to wonder whether Kingsbury could get another NFL head coaching opportunity in the near future.