Kliff Kingsbury joins the USC Football Staff as a Senior Offensive Analyst

Football | April 11, 2023

ANGELS–Kliff Kingsbury, who has head coaching experience at both the college level and the NFL, has been named senior offensive analyst, head coach at USC. Lincoln Riley was announced today (April 11).

“We are excited to officially welcome Kliff to our coaching staff and add another outstanding football mind to our program,” said Riley.

At the college level, Kingsbury, 43, has tutored such future NFL quarterbacks as two-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes and, during his 2012 Heisman Trophy season, first-rounder Johnny Manziel, as well as Case Keenum, Davis Webb and Nic Shimonek. At the NFL level, Kingsbury coaches 2019 NFL Draft No. 1 pick Kyler Murray, who won the Heisman Trophy while Riley coached at Oklahoma.

Kingsbury was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for four seasons (2019-22). He went 28-37-1 while in Phoenix.

In 2019, the Cardinals made a historic improvement on offense under Kingsbury. Although they were 5-10-1 (a two-game improvement from 2018), they ranked 13th in offensive efficiency and had the NFL’s second-best ground game, averaging a franchise-record 5.03 yards per carry.Kyler Murray was named the 2019 NFL offensive rookie of the year.

In 2020, the Cardinals improved to 8-8 and finished third in the NFC West with three Pro Bowlers, and continued to progress under Kingsbury in the 2021 campaign with a hot 7-0 start and finished 11-6 with five Pro Bowlers. They finished second in the NFC West and lost in the Wild Card playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl LVI champions, the Los Angeles Rams. In 2021, the Cardinals ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in both scoring and total offense.

The Cardinals went 4-13 in 2022 and finished fourth in the NFC West, but were without quarterback Murray for 6 games through the year due to a season-ending injury.

In December 2018, Kingsbury made a brief stop at USC as the Trojans’ offensive coordinator before being hired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals on January 8, 2019.

Kingsbury spent six seasons (2013-18) as the head coach at his alma mater, Texas Tech, where he also called the plays for the Red Raiders’ high-powered offense, which ranked in the top 10 nationally in passing yards and rushing yards each season. Top 20 in total crimes. In every season during his tenure, his teams averaged at least 30 points per game (including twice over 40 points), 470 total yards (4 times over 500 yards) and 330 passing yards (twice over 460 yards). In four of those seasons, his teams also rushed for at least 140 yards per game.

Texas Tech went 8-5 in the first season in 2013, including a win in the Holiday Bowl. TheRed Raiders were second nationally in passing yards (392.8) and eighth in total offense (510.7) while averaging 35.8 points per game.

In 2014, with an injury-plagued team, running back DeAndre Washington became the first Red Raider to rush for 1,000 yards since 1998 (1,103). Texas Tech was fifth nationally in passing offense (351.1) and 10th^thtotal offense (504.1) while scoring 30.5 points en route to a 4-8 record.

In 2015, Texas Tech ranked second in the nation in total offense (579.5), passing offense (388.2) and scoring offense (school record 45.1). The Red Raiders were one of two schools to score at least 25 points in every game that year. Mahomes, just a sophomore, threw for 4,653 yards with 36 touchdowns and became the youngest quarterback in NCAA history to reach 5,000 total yards. he led the nation in that category (393.0). He also ran for 10 TDs. Wide receiver Jakeem Grant set the school’s career rushing yards record (3,164), while Washington again ran for 1,000 yards (1,492), becoming the first Red Raider. back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons since 1995 and 1996. It was the first season Tech had a 4,000-yard rusher, a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver. The Red Raiders went 7-6, including their first win in Texas since 1997, and played in the Texas Bowl.

Texas Tech led the nation in total offense (566.6) and passing yards (463.0) in 2016 and was fifth in scoring offense (43.7). Mahomes won the Sammy Baugh Trophy after leading the nation in passing yards (421.0) while throwing for 5,052 yards. (he was just the third quarterback to have back-to-back years with 5,000 total yards) and 41 touchdowns after adding 12 rushing TDs. Tech went 5-7 in 2016.

The 2017 Red Raiders advanced to the Birmingham Bowl and finished with a 6-7 record. Behind Shimonek, Tech was ninth nationally in passing yards (333.7) and 16th.^thtotal number of crimes (474.6).

In 2018, the Red Raiders ranked fourth nationally in passing offense (352.6), 12^ththe total number of crimes (485.2) and 16^thin scoring offense (37.3). Texas Tech was 5-7, giving Kingsbury a 35-40 head coaching record in six years.

Kingsbury began his coaching career in Houston for four seasons, first as the offensive quality control coach for 2 years (2008-09), then as the Cougars’ quarterbacks coach in 2010 and added offensive coordinator duties in 2011. Houston then led the coaching staff in 2008. total offense (599.1), passing offense (450 .1) and points (49.3) in 2011, while Keenum finished his career as the most productive passer in NCAA FBS history (he was seventh in Heisman Trophy voting and won the Sammy Baughin Trophy). Kingsbury was namedFootballScoop.comOffensive Coordinator of the Year. In 2010, freshman quarterback David Piland filled in for an injured Keenum early in the season and was third nationally in passing yards (330.1), earning Freshman All-American honors. Houston played in the 2008 and 2009 Armed Forces Bowls and defeated Penn State in the 2012 TicketCity Bowl.

Kingsbury spent 2012 as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas A&M, helping Manziel become the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. The Aggies ranked third nationally in total offense (558.5) behind a consistent offense that was 13th nationally in passing offense (242.1) and 14th in passing offense (316.5). Texas A&M beat No. 1 Alabama on the road and No. 11 Oklahoma. in the Cotton Bowl. It was Kingsbury’s second straight seasonFootballScoop.comOffensive Coordinator of the Year.

Kingsbury had a record career at quarterback at Texas Tech from 1999-2002, the last 3 seasons under head coach Mike Leach. In his career, he had over 12,000 passing yards and over 1,000 total yards, making him only the third player in NCAA history to accomplish all 3 feats. He had 39 school records, 16 Big 12 points and 17 NCAA records. . As a senior in 2002, he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy and was the Associated Press’ 12th Offensive Player of the Year.

He received a bachelor’s degree in management from Texas Tech in 2001. He was a National Football Foundation Post-Graduate Scholarship winner and a CoSIDA Academic All-America player in 2002.

He was a sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2003 NFL Draft. He spent 2003 on injured reserve with the Patriots, then was on the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad in 2004. He played for the New York Jets in 2005 and made an appearance. 1 game, then attended Buffalo Bills training camp in 2006. He played for the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe in 2006, then signed with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes in 2007 before spending a season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

He played football for his father, Tim, at New Braunfels (Tex.) High and was also on the baseball, basketball and track teams. He threw for 3,009 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior. He was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2018.