Former USC Coach Joining Washington Commanders as New Offensive Coordinator

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Collin Haalboom | Last updated Feb 7, 2024 2:20 PM ET

For a 44-year old, Kliff Kingsbury has a pretty extensive resume.

He's coached in a variety of different roles for a variety of different programs in both college and the NFL.

Currently, Kingsbury is coming off of a season where he served on Lincoln Riley's staff at USC as an offensive analyst. That of course came after his 3-year stint as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals came to a bitter end when he was fired in 2022.

But with the NFL coaching carousel spinning as quickly as it ever has, it was only a matter of time before Kingsbury decided to make the jump back to the NFL and this offseason seems to be as good of a time as any.

Which is why it was no surprise when last week it was reported that Kingsbury was set to become the new offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. However, that marriage proved to be doomed before it even began.

A twist in Las Vegas: Kliff Kingsbury has withdrawn himself from consideration for the offensive coordinator job of the Raiders, per his agent @ErikBurkhardt. pic.twitter.com/IKmSPT7PaM
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2024

As it turns out, Kingsbury was ready to accept the position with the Raiders, until the term of his contract became a point of contention . But Kingsbury wasn't about to sit around and wait. The very next day, it was announced that Kingsbury would be joining newly appointed head coach, Dan Quinn, to take over the offense coaching duties for the Washington Commanders.

Commanders are hiring Kliff Kingsbury as their new offensive coordinator, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 5, 2024

It was a dramatic turn, no doubt. But when it was all said and done, the Commanders did what it took to get their guy, and the Raiders did not.

It's also pretty easy to make the argument that Kingsbury ended up in a better situation anyway. Not only will the Commanders have plenty of cap space to work with moving forward, but they also hold the rights to the second overall selection in this year's NFL Draft. And with the 2024 quarterback class shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory, it's pretty much guaranteed that Kliff Kingsbury will get to build his new offense around a very talented young quarterback.

To add some more intrigue to what has already been a very compelling series of events, Kingsbury's relationship with Caleb Williams, who he coached last year at USC, has led to widespread speculation that the Commanders may look to trade up with the Chicago Bears to reunite Kingsbury with his prized disciple.

Whether or not the Bears are willing to pass on the generational talent out of USC is yet to be determined. But whether it's him, Drake Maye of North Carolina, or Jayden Daniels of LSU, there's no question that Kingsbury will have a tantalizing prospect to work with for the Washington Commanders next season.

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This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

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