- Became an NFL head coach for the first time when hired by Arizona on January 8, 2019. Kingsbury came to Arizona after spending six seasons (2013-18) as the head coach at his alma mater, Texas Tech.
- In his first two seasons with the Cardinals, Kingsbury helped lead a turnaround that resulted in a two-win improvement following his first year in 2019 and a three-win improvement after his second season in 2020.
- Arizona went from the NFL's 32nd ranked offense in 2018 to 16th in 2019 and then to 6th in 2020. The Cardinals went from the NFL's 32nd ranked run game in 2018 to 10th in 2019 and then to 7th in 2020.
- In two seasons under Kingsbury (2019-20), the Cardinals have rushed for 4,227 yards and 40 TDs. Arizona joins Baltimore, Tennessee, San Francisco and New Orleans as the only five teams in the NFL to have rushed for 4,000+ yards and 40+ TDs during that span.
- In 2020, Arizona finished top-10 in total offense (#6), rushing yards/game (#7), rushing TDs (#4) and offensive TDs (#10) while compiling 6,153 total net yards, the third-best season total in team history.
- The Cardinals rushed for 2,237 yards and 22 TDs in 2020. It marked just the sixth time in franchise history – and first time since 1984 – that Arizona had 2,000+ rushing yards and 20+ rushing TDs in a season. In 2019, Arizona established a franchise single-season record with a 5.03-yard rushing average as a team.
- Arizona has gone without a turnover in 10 games under Kingsbury, including a franchise-record seven games without a turnover in 2019.
- Recognized as one of the profession's brightest and most-innovative offensive minds, Kingsbury has built a reputation for his work with QBs. Under Kingsbury's tutelage, Arizona's QB Kyler Murray – the #1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft – was named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and earned his first career Pro Bowl selection in 2020.
- Among the QBs Kingsbury mentored in the college ranks were first-round selections Patrick Mahomes (2018 NFL MVP and Super Bowl LIV MVP), Baker Mayfield and Johnny Manziel as well as Case Keenum, Davis Webb and Nic Shimonek. Under Kingsbury's guidance, Mahomes (2016) and Keenum (2009, '11) both led the nation in passing.
- In eight seasons (2011-18) as a head coach/offensive coordinator at the college level, a Kingsbury-led offense never finished outside the top-20 in the nation in total offense and never finished outside the top-15 in passing offense.
- While at Texas Tech, Kingsbury served as the play-caller for one of the college football's most explosive and productive offenses. The Red Raiders featured a passing attack that ranked in the top-10 in the country in all six seasons of his tenure, ranked in the top-20 nationally for total offense in all six seasons and finished in the top-25 in scoring five times.
- Kingsbury also coached at Texas A&M (2012) and at the University of Houston (2008-11) where he began his coaching career.
- At both Houston (2011) and Texas Tech (2016), Kingsbury's offenses led the nation in total offense and passing offense.
Kliff Kingsbury was named Arizona's head coach on January 8, 2019 when he signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth. The 42-year old Kingsbury came to Arizona after spending six seasons (2013-18) as the head coach at his alma mater, Texas Tech. The New Braunfels, TX native is a 13-year coaching veteran who also spent three seasons (2003-05) in the NFL as a player.
ARIZONA: In his first two seasons with the Cardinals, Kingsbury has led a turnaround resulting in a two-win improvement following his first year in 2019 and a three-win improvement after his second season in 2020. Arizona went from having the NFL's 32nd ranked offense in 2018 to the 16th ranked offense in 2019 and the 6th ranked offense in 2020.
Kingsbury has completely transformed the Cardinals offense in his first two seasons at the helm. Last year, Arizona finished top-10 in total offense (#6), rushing yards/game (#7), rushing TDs (#4) and offensive TDs (#10) while compiling 6,153 total net yards, the third most in team history and scoring 411 points, the fifth most in franchise history. The Cardinals have put up 400+ net yards in a game 13 times in two seasons under Kingsbury - including in eight games in 2020. Only five teams had more games with 400+ yards in the last two seasons.
After ranking 31st in the NFL with just four games of 25+ points in the two seasons (2017-18) prior to his arrival, Arizona ranks 7th in the NFL with 18 such performances under Kingsbury. Arizona had a streak of five consecutive games with 30+ points and 400+ total yards in 2020 (Games 5-9). It was the longest such streak in franchise history and the longest for any team in the league since Denver set an NFL record with 10 straight games in 2012-13.
In his first season in 2019, Kingsbury helped Arizona boast a 60.4% increase in points scored and a 91.7% increase in the total number of scoring drives compared to 2018.
Arizona has also featured one of the NFL's top rushing attacks the past two years. The NFL's 32nd ranked run game in 2018, the Cardinals had the 10th ranked run game in 2019 and the 7th ranked rushing attack in 2020. In two seasons under Kingsbury, Arizona has rushed for 4,227 yards and 40 TDs, joining Baltimore, Tennessee, San Francisco and New Orleans as the only five teams in the NFL to have rushed for 4,000+ yards and 40+ TDs during that span.
The Cardinals rushed for 2,237 yards and 22 TDs in 2020. It marked just the sixth time in franchise history – and first time since 1984 – that Arizona had 2,000+ rushing yards and 20+ rushing TDs in a season. In 2019, Arizona established a franchise single-season record with a 5.03-yard rushing average as a team.
Under Kingsbury's tutelage, Arizona QB Kyler Murray - the #1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft – was selected to his first Pro Bowl last year after he was named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019. The former Heisman Trophy winner started all 16 games for the second consecutive season in 2020 and set a franchise record for completion percentage (67.2) while also setting franchise QB records for rushing yards (819) and rushing TDs (11) in a season.
TEXAS TECH: Kingsbury spent six seasons as the head coach at Texas Tech where he also called the plays for the Red Raiders high-powered offense that annually ranked among the top units in the country.
The Red Raiders featured a passing attack that ranked in the top-10 in the country in all six seasons of Kingsbury's tenure, ranked in the top-20 nationally for total offense in all six seasons and finished in the top-25 in scoring five times. In 2016, Texas Tech led the nation in total offense (566.6 ypg), passing offense (463.0 ypg) and ranked fifth in scoring offense (43.7 ppg).
Under Kingsbury, Texas Tech averaged at least 30 points per game, 470 total yards per game and 300 passing yards per game in all six seasons. The Red Raiders averaged over 500 yards of offense in four seasons and over 450 passing yards twice. In 24 games against ranked opponents, the Red Raiders offense averaged 502 ypg.
Kingsbury's star pupil at Texas Tech was QB Patrick Mahomes, who was selected 10th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft and has earned 2018 NFL MVP Honors and Super Bowl LIV MVP honors in his first four seasons in league. Mahomes helped rewrite the history books during his tenure with the Red Raiders, eclipsing the 5,000-yard mark as a junior in 2016 to become just the third quarterback ever to record 5,000+ yards of total offense in back-to-back seasons. He was selected as the 2016 Sammy Baugh Award winner after leading the country in passing yards (5,052) while throwing for 41 TDs and rushing for 285 yards and 12 TDs. Mahomes became the second of Kingsbury's quarterbacks to lead the nation in passing yards, joining former Houston QB Case Keenum (2009, '11).
As a sophomore in 2015, Mahomes became the youngest quarterback in NCAA history to amass 5,000 yards of total offense (4,653 passing yards; 456 rushing yards) and accounted for 46 TDs (36 passing, 10 rushing). Texas Tech finished #2 in the nation in total offense (579.5 ypg), passing offense (388.2 ypg) and scoring (45.1 ppg). The Red Raiders were one of just two schools nationally to score 25 or more points in every game that season.
In 2015, the Red Raiders featured a 4,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time in school history. WR Jakeem Grant had 1,268 receiving yards to set the school career receiving yardage record (3,164 yards), breaking the previous mark held by two-time Biletnikoff Award winner Michael Crabtree. Grant also broke the school single-season record for all-purpose yards (2,353) and career kick return TDs (4).
RB DeAndre Washington had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons (2014-15), becoming the first Red Raider since Doak Walker award winner Byron Hanspard (1995-96) to accomplish that feat.
In his first year at Texas Tech in 2013, Kingsbury's offense finished 2nd nationally in passing offense (392.8 ypg) and 8th in total offense (510.7 ypg) and beat #16 Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. He became just the second coach in program history to win a bowl game in his first season. Kingsbury had 12 players named to either the All-Big 12 first or second team as well as three All-America selections during his tenure at Texas Tech. He also helped eight players get selected in the NFL Draft.
QUARTERBACK SUCCESS: In addition to helping guide Kyler Murray to a record-breaking start to his NFL career, Kingsbury tutored six future NFL QBs at the college level, including first-round selections Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Baker Mayfield (Browns) and Johnny Manziel (Browns) as well as Case Keenum, Davis Webb and Nic Shimonek.
Under Kingsbury's guidance, Mahomes (2016) and Keenum (2009, '11) both led the nation in passing. Mahomes (2015-16) and Keenum (2008-08, '11) are two of the five quarterbacks (Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Graham Harrell) in FBS history to record 5,000+ yards of offense twice in a career. Keenum finished his college career by throwing for 5,631 yards and 48 TDs on 428-of-604 attempts in 2011.
During his lone season at Texas A&M (2012), Kingsbury mentored Johnny Manziel, who became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 3,706 yards and rushing for 21 TDs.
OTHER COACHING CAREER: Kingsbury began his coaching career at the University of Houston as the offensive quality control coach (2008-09) prior to being elevated to QBs coach (2010) and co-offensive coordinator in 2011.
With Kingsbury serving as co-offensive coordinator in 2011 and calling the plays, Houston led the nation in total offense (599.1 ypg), passing offense (450.1 ypg) and scoring (49.3 ppg). Keenum was selected as the Sammy Baugh Award winner as the nation's top quarterback and finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting.
Kingsbury spent the 2012 season at Texas A&M as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Texas A&M finished third nationally in total offense (558.5 ypg) with an attack that ranked 13th nationally in rushing (242.1 ypg) and 14th in passing (316.5 ypg). The Aggies beat #1 Alabama on the road and #11 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
In his only two seasons as an offensive coordinator (2011-Houston; 2012-Texas A&M), Kingsbury was named Offensive Coordinator of the Year both years by FootballScoop.com.
Following his tenure as head coach at Texas Tech, Kingsbury was hired as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at USC prior joining the Cardinals.
PLAYING CAREER: Kingsbury had a prolific career as a quarterback at Texas Tech (1999-2002), playing his last three seasons under Mike Leach where he set 39 school records, 16 Big 12 marks and 17 NCAA records during his collegiate career while throwing for 12,423 yards and 95 TDs. As a senior in 2002, he was awarded the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation's top college QB and was also named the Associated Press Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year while finishing 9th in Heisman Trophy voting.
At Texas Tech, Kingsbury recorded more than 12,000 passing yards and total offense, including over 1,000 completions, making him just the third player in NCAA history to accomplish all three feats.
He was drafted in the sixth round (201st overall) of the NFL Draft by New England in 2003 and spent his rookie season on the Patriots injured reserve list before spending the 2004 season on the Saints practice squad. Kingsbury played in one game with the Jets in 2005 and completed one of two passes for 17 yards. He played with the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe in 2006 before attending training camp with the Bills that summer. Kingsbury finished his playing career in the CFL by playing with the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2007.
PERSONAL:Kingsbury grew up and played high school football under his father, Tim, at New Braunfels (TX) High School where he threw for over 3,000 yards and 34 TDs as a senior in 1997 to lead the Unicorns to the Class 5A Division II state semifinals just one year after finishing 4-8. New Braunfels finished Kingsbury's senior season with a 13-2 record, which included six come from behind wins. In 2018, Kingsbury was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.
While at Texas Tech, Kingsbury was one of 14 collegiate football players to receive a post-graduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. He was also awarded with Academic All-America Player of the Year honors in 2002, the highest academic honor for a player in Texas Tech history. Kingsbury earned a bachelor's degree in Management from Texas Tech in 2001.
