Kliff Kingsbury brings college, pro experience as the Commanders’ offensive coordinator

Kliff Kingsbury joins the Washington Commanders as their offensive coordinator after a recent stint with the Arizona Cardinals and a stop at the University of Southern California.

Kingsbury’s path to the District has taken him from Texas to Germany. 

Here are seven things to know about Washington’s new offensive coordinator:

⦁ Kingsbury withdrew from consideration for Las Vegas’ coordinator job: Last week, Kingsbury interviewed to be the new offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. His agent told ESPN that the coach withdrew his name from consideration after contract negotiations broke down.

⦁ He spent 2023 as an offensive assistant at USC: After four seasons of mostly disappointing results as coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Kingsbury was canned in 2022 and returned to the college ranks as an assistant coach with USC. There, he coached District product Caleb Williams, the Heisman winner who could be the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams congratulated Kingsbury — he referred to him as “My Dawg” — on Instagram on Sunday night.

⦁ He went 28-37-1 as coach of the Cardinals: Kingsbury served as the coach of the Cardinals from 2019 through 2022 and saw mixed success. Paired with 2019 first overall pick Kyler Murray, Kingsbury led the Cardinals to the playoffs in one of his four seasons.

⦁ In the looks department, he’s been compared to Barbie’s Ken: Kingsbury has attracted attention throughout his coaching career for his looks. “He’s young. He’s good-looking. Looks like Ryan Gosling,” Kingsbury’s friend David Simmonds told ESPN in 2019. “I don’t want to say he’s the antithesis of that, but he’s a motivated — highly motivated — individual.”

⦁ Washington’s new OC backed up Tom Brady in New England: The New England Patriots selected Kingsbury in the 6th round of the 2003 NFL Draft. There, he served as the backup quarterback through the offseason. He did not play a snap for the Patriots; Kingsbury spent the season on injured reserve with an injured arm. He still received a championship ring after the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVII.

⦁ The Texas Tech product bounced around multiple leagues: The Patriots waived Kingsbury in 2004. He bounced around the NFL after that, spending time with the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Buffalo Bills. In 2006, Kingsbury played in NFL Europe for the Cologne Centurions. He spent 2007 as a backup in the Canadian Football League.

⦁ Kingsbury is a coach’s son: Kingsbury’s evolution as a coach started young. His father, Tim Kingsbury, coached his sons Kliff and Klint at New Braunfels High School in Texas. Kliff Kingsbury says his father’s tough love inspired discipline and an undaunting work ethic. “I was kind of taught that if you want to be successful, get up before the crowd so I’ve just kind of carried that with me,” Kingsbury told The Athletic in 2019.