kliff kingsbury

Kliff Kingsbury was born on August 9, 1979, in San Antonio, Texas. He played high school football at New Braunfels High School, where his father was the head coach. Kingsbury excelled as a quarterback, leading his team to the Class 5A Division II semifinals and earning the Offensive MVP in the Texas High School Coaches All-Star Game. He graduated third in his class and was an Academic All-State selection, later inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Kingsbury continued his career at Texas Tech, playing quarterback from 1998 to 2002. He set 39 school records, 13 Big 12 Conference records, and 7 NCAA FBS records, accumulating over 12,000 passing yards and 95 touchdowns. In 2002, he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy and was named the Associated Press Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, finishing ninth in Heisman Trophy voting. Kingsbury was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft and spent time on several NFL and CFL teams before transitioning to coaching in 2008.

Kingsbury’s coaching career began as an offensive quality control coach for the Houston Cougars in 2008, where he progressed to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2011, Houston’s offense led the NCAA in numerous categories, averaging 50 points and nearly 600 yards per game. In 2012, he became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas A&M, coaching Johnny Manziel to a Heisman Trophy win and leading the Aggies to top-15 offensive rankings across all categories. Kingsbury then returned to his alma mater, Texas Tech, as head coach from 2013-2018. During his tenure, his offenses consistently ranked in the top 10 for passing yards and top 20 in total offense, averaging at least 30 points per game. He developed future NFL talent like Patrick Mahomes, and led the Red Raiders to an 8-5 record and a Holiday Bowl victory in his first season. He also recruited and coached Baker Mayfield, who later won the Heisman Trophy and was a first overall NFL draft pick.

In 2019, Kingsbury moved to the NFL, becoming the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals for four seasons (2019-2022). He guided the Cardinals to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth in 2021, the first head coach since 2015 to achieve this. The Cardinals’ offense ranked top 10 in total offense (8th), touchdowns scored (tied for 8th), and rushing offense (10th) under his leadership. He worked closely with quarterback Kyler Murray, who earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 and Pro Bowl honors in 2020. After his time with the Cardinals, Kingsbury served as a senior offensive analyst for USC in 2023, collaborating on the development of Caleb Williams, the 2024 NFL Draft first overall selection. In 2024, he was named the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, working with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and helping the team achieve significant offensive improvements.