Jan 9, 20189; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals introduce their new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a press conference on Jan. 9 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Kingsbury is a former Texas Tech head coach and was the recently hired USC offensive coordinator. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK
The Arizona Cardinals hired former Texas Tech head coach and known offensive guru Kliff Kingsbury to be the team’s new head coach. He signed a four-year contract with a team-option for a fifth year.
“I’ve been around football my entire life,” Kingsbury told Arizona’s website. “I’ve played in this league, coached on the college level, and have always been fascinated by the NFL. With the offensive trends these days, it felt like a perfect time to be here.”
Kingsbury, 39, had a 35-40 record in six years as the lead man for the Red Raiders. He was recently hired to be the offensive coordinator at USC after being relieved of his duties in Lubbock.
Last season, Texas Tech averaged 485.2 yards and 37.3 points per game and jumped out to a 5-2 start. But the Red Raiders lost their final five games to finish the season 5-7. It was the third straight season that Texas Tech finished below .500. Kingsbury’s best season came in 2013, when he guided the Red Raiders to an 8-5 record.
Kingsbury has never coached in the NFL. He was a sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2003 after a highly successful career at Texas Tech under Mike Leach.
