Ex-Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury ‘is in line to join USC to work with Caleb Williams’
Ex-Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury ‘lined up to join USC to team up with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams’ — five years after leaving Trojans without a head coach just weeks after accepting the roll
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury will reportedly join Lincoln Riley’s staff and team up with a quarterback squad that includes reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.
In 2018, Kingsbury had accepted the head coaching job at USC following his tenure at Texas Tech, only to resign several weeks later and accept the position of head coach of the Cardinals.
According to The athleticwill be Kingsbury Senior Offensive Analyst and a large part of his responsibilities will include helping Riley put together game plans and watch movies while also having a strong presence in the quarterback room.
While his stint as coach of the Cardinals produced mixed results, Kingsbury’s track record with college quarterbacks speaks for itself.
Kliff Kingsbury will join USC coaching staff as Senior Offensive Analyst, according to reports
Kingsbury will work closely with USC head coach Lincoln Riley on game plans and film study
He will also work with the quarterbacks and is expected to see #1 overall, Caleb Williams, in 2024
During his career, he coached former Houston Cougars quarterback Case Keenum, Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.
Like Riley, Kingsbury is also a student of the legendary Mike Leach and the Air Raid.
Riley himself is also considered a QB whisperer after coaching the likes of Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray to Heisman Trophies, along with coaching Jalen Hurts who surpassed Oklahoma’s single-game yardage record in a debut.
Hurts finished second in the Heisman voting that year, only to LSU’s NCAA champion QB Joe Burrow.
Williams was already expected to be the top quarterback in this year’s draft class after the stellar work he did under Riley’s tutelage between the duo’s time at Oklahoma and after following the head coach to USC.
Last season in his and Riley’s first year with the Trojans, Williams threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns and ran for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The addition of Kingsbury should not only help Williams maintain his status as the top QB in college football, but also further improve it, before taking first overall in the NFL Draft next year.
It could be Kingsbury’s only season at the school after he was identified as a potential offensive coordinator for teams in this NFL cycle, but opted to take some time off after booking a long trip to Thailand.
Williams is currently the reigning winner of the Heisman Trophy after an excellent year last season