Texas Tech alum Kliff Kingsbury can revitalize coaching career in Washington

Kliff Kingsbury always seems to land on his feet. Maybe it's just that he lives a charmed life or maybe there's just something about him that people buy into. Regardless of why, the former Texas Tech quarterback and head coach seems to almost always be in demand, regardless of any struggles he's had as a coach.

This year, Kingsbury is back in the NFL after a year as an offensive analyst for USC. Now the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, he has a shot to revive his coaching career by helping turn around a once-proud franchise that has been an afterthought for decades.

For as beloved as Kingsbury is around Texas Tech circles, there is no denying that his two opportunities to be a head coach have failed to yield the type of results that anyone would have wanted.

With the Red Raiders from 2013-18, he amassed just a 35-40 overall record. That included a mark of 19-35 in Big 12 play.

However, after being fired by his alma mater at the end of the 2018 season, he bounced back in the most spectacular way possible by landing one of the most coveted gigs in the sports world, NFL head coach. Due in large part to his work at Tech with Patrick Mahomes II, Kingsbury got the Arizona Cardinals head coaching job just months after his Texas Tech tenure ended.

Unfortunately, that opportunity didn't pan out either. In four seasons with the Cardinals, Kingsbury posted just a 28-37-1 overall record. He did get the Cardinals into the playoffs in the 2021 season but he failed to win a playoff game in his tenure in the desert and he was fired after the 2022 season.

Now, in fairness, Kingsbury's two head coaching stints have come at challenging spots. Neither Texas Tech nor the Arizona Cardinals are historically dominant brands on the football field. Both jobs come with challenges that are tough for even the best head coaches to overcome.

However, Kingsbury has also contributed to his own struggles by failing to fully embrace the role of head coach. Rather, he's acted like an offensive guru who also has to run the team as his side hustle.

That's why the role of NFL offensive coordinator, one that he's never had until this season, might be perfect for the now 44-year-old. What's more, he's got a lot of shiny new toys to play with in Washington, especially at the quarterback position.

This year, the Commanders drafted LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, with the No. 2 pick in the draft. It marks the second time that Kingsbury will have a top-two pick in the draft to be his quarterback after Arizona selected Oklahoma's Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft.

Kingsbury turned Murray into an above-average quarterback in Arizona. Now, can he do more than that with Daniels who at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds has fewer physical limitations than the 5-foot-10 inch Murray?

At wide receiver, veteran Terry McLaurin is an under-the-radar star with four straight seasons of at least 77 catches and 1,000 yards. The team has also brought in veteran running back Austin Ekeler (a 2022 Pro Bowl selection) and tight end Zach Ertz who played for Kingsbury in Arizona.

In addition, Washington signed a new left guard and a new center (Nick Allegretti and Tyler Biadasz) to revamp an offensive line that allowed 65 sacks a year ago. In other words, the Commanders are trying to put all the pieces in place for Kingsbury to succeed.

If the Washington offense takes off, all the credit will go to Kingsbury. Head coach Dan Quinn is a defensive mastermind who will likely be hands-off when it comes to the offense meaning that Kingsbury will have carte blanche to call his offense the way he desires.

Therefore, Kingsbury has a golden opportunity to remake his image in the NFL. If he can achieve results as Washington's O.C., he will quickly become one of the hottest names in the league once again. So don't be shocked to see Kingsbury eventually get another NFL head coaching job. After all, he's set up for success in Washington and, what's more, he always seems to land on his feet.