One way to reignite a football career after struggling as a head coach is to return to a coordinator role and demonstrate success. That’s exactly what Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has done through seven games in the 2024 season. His work with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who’s been playing at an MVP level, has reaffirmed Kingsbury’s reputation as a “quarterback whisperer.”
This success has sparked speculation about Kingsbury getting another shot at head coaching. The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz suggested this possibility after Daniels sustained a rib injury during the Week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers. Backup Marcus Mariota stepped in smoothly, leading the team to a dominant 40-7 victory, which further showcased Kingsbury’s offensive system. Ruiz commented, “I’m going to give the New York Giants head coaching job to Kingsbury after today. He’s going to get a head coaching role again.”
Kingsbury’s career has been marked by a pattern of failing upward. After productive stints as an offensive coordinator at the University of Houston and Texas A&M, he was hired as head coach at Texas Tech in 2013. Despite having talents like Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes, Kingsbury finished with a 35-40 record over six seasons and was eventually fired.
Nevertheless, Kingsbury quickly landed the head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals, where he coached from 2019 to 2022. After a disappointing 28-37-1 record, including a 4-13 season in 2022, he was let go. He spent 2023 as an offensive analyst at USC before joining the Commanders’ coaching staff in 2024 under head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants may soon be searching for a new head coach, with Brian Daboll’s tenure looking shaky. After a strong 2022 season where the Giants reached the NFC Divisional Round, they struggled in 2023 with a 6-11 record, and are off to a 2-5 start in 2024. Despite his past successes as an assistant coach, Daboll appears to be on the way out, opening the door for potential candidates like Kingsbury.
