- USC adds Kliff Kingsbury: Ex-Cardinals, Texas Tech coach joins Trojans staff in offensive analyst role CBS Sports
- Kliff Kingsbury and Lincoln Riley finally unite: ‘Great fit for both sides’ The Athletic
- Kliff Kingsbury joins USC coaching staff to work with Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams #shorts USA TODAY Sports
- How Kliff Kingsbury wound up coaching at USC for Lincoln Riley Sports Illustrated
- Ex-Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury joins Lincoln Riley’s staff at USC as offensive assistant Yahoo Sports
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: Kingsbury
Kohl’s names interim CEO Tom Kingsbury to the post permanently
The Kohl’s logo is displayed on the exterior of a Kohl’s store on January 24, 2022 in San Rafael, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Kohl’s on Thursday named interim CEO Tom Kingsbury to the post on a permanent basis.
He took over as interim CEO in December after former chief executive Michelle Gass decided to leave for Levi Strauss. Kingsbury’s appointment had been expected.
related investing news
The company also said activist investor Macellum Advisors agreed to back off its pressure campaign.
“The Board appreciates our constructive dialogue with Macellum during the last few months and their engagement as we conducted the CEO search process. We look forward to their continued support and partnership,” said Michael Bender, a board director at Kohl’s.
In October, Macellum had been pushing for board seats at the struggling retailer.
Shares of Kohl’s were little changed in after-hours trading on Thursday.
Read the full release from Kohl’s.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
Jets offensive coordinator candidates: Nathaniel Hackett, Kliff Kingsbury and 14 others
In November, Mike LaFleur was listed as a future head coaching candidate by NFL.com. By January, he was out as the Jets’ offensive coordinator.
The Jets and LaFleur on Wednesday mutually agreed to part ways, according to a team official not authorized to speak publicly about the decision.
The news came three days after an ugly 11-6, season-ending loss to the Dolphins in Miami. It capped a terrible offensive stretch to end the season for the Jets, which ultimately cost LaFleur his job after two years. The Jets (7-10) didn’t score a touchdown in their final three games and averaged 11 points per game over the six-game losing skid, which was only made worse by how well the Jets’ defense played for most of the season. Quarterback Zach Wilson led the Jets with six passing touchdowns, and rookie running back Breece Hall led with 463 rushing yards — and the injured Hall didn’t play after Week 7.
GO DEEPER
The Jets missed Mekhi Becton, Breece Hall and AVT — and they’ll need them in 2023
Recently, Robert Saleh made it clear he felt LaFleur deserved a chance to stick around — 49ers fans called for Saleh to be fired after his second season as defensive coordinator in San Francisco, but he wasn’t — so it’s fair to wonder if owner Woody Johnson pushed the coach to move on from LaFleur. Ultimately, the Jets offense wasn’t good enough, though, and LaFleur paid the price.
Now, Saleh will likely seek to fill the role with a veteran coach with play-calling experience as he enters a 2023 season where anything short of making the playoffs won’t be good enough. The Jets want to develop Wilson into an NFL-caliber quarterback, though they will likely try bringing in a veteran quarterback to steer a moribund offense. Any offensive coordinator Saleh hires must understand that if things don’t turn around in 2023, Saleh and his staff might be looking for new jobs at this time next year.
So who are some candidates?
We came up with a list of 16 who make sense, listed in alphabetical order.
Darrell Bevell (Dolphins QBs coach/passing game coordinator): The 53-year-old has been the offensive coordinator for four teams, including the Seahawks when Saleh was on staff. This season, he’s worked with Mike McDaniel, who comes from the Kyle Shanahan tree, so the fit would be more seamless than some of the other veteran coaches on this list.
Tom Clements (Packers QBs coach): The 69-year-old has been the Bills and Packers offensive coordinator and would be coming from the staff of Matt LaFleur, one of Saleh’s closest friends.
Nathaniel Hackett (ex-Broncos head coach): He turned into an object of mockery, fired in less than one season in Denver. But before that he was a highly regarded offensive coordinator for the Packers — for Saleh’s friend Matt LaFleur. He also was the OC for the Jaguars from 2016-18, and Jacksonville’s QBs coach before that. He and Saleh were on the same staff in Jacksonville.
Pep Hamilton (Texans offensive coordinator): The 48-year-old ran a disjointed offense in Houston, though like LaFleur, he didn’t have much to work with at quarterback. He also was the offensive coordinator for the Colts in 2013-15 and has a reputation around the league for developing quarterbacks.
Brian Johnson (Eagles QBs coach): The 35-year old has only been an offensive coordinator at the college level (at Florida in 2020) but he’s considered a coach on the rise and played a major role in Jalen Hurts’ development into an MVP candidate.
Kliff Kingsbury (ex-Cardinals head coach): Once upon a time the Jets tried hiring him as head coach, so it’s conceivable Johnson might want to bring someone like him on board to help Saleh. Kingsbury will be paid by the Cardinals for a few more years, so he might not be in a rush to work.
GO DEEPER
How the Cardinals’ season of misery led to the end of the Kliff Kingsbury experiment
Gary Kubiak (retired former head coach): The 61-year-old Kubiak announced his retirement in 2021 and he’s unlikely to come out of it to call plays again. But he gave Saleh his first NFL coaching job and would be an ideal candidate to come in as a senior offensive assistant to help get the offense back on track. He might be more willing to work again if the Jets hired the next candidate on this list. …
Klint Kubiak (Broncos passing game coordinator/QBs coach): Saleh never technically worked with Kubiak, Gary Kubiak’s son, but he certainly knows him well from the ties to his father. The Broncos will be hiring a new coaching staff so this Kubiak will likely be looking for work. He doesn’t have play-calling experience but could still come onto the staff in some capacity (passing game coordinator? QBs coach?) to help rebuild the offense.
Ben McAdoo (Panthers offensive coordinator): The Panthers might just keep interim head coach Steve Wilks on full time, which would mean McAdoo would likely stay with the Panthers. But if not, McAdoo deserves a lot of credit for developing Sam Darnold into a solid NFL quarterback and he has plenty of play-calling experience from Carolina and his days with the Giants.
Ron Middleton was the National Team head coach at the 2022 Senior Bowl. (Vasha Hunt / USA Today)
Ron Middleton (Jets tight ends coach): He’s a popular figure among Jets players — many often wear a shirt bearing his likeness and signature catchphrase: “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die” — and won a lot of support when he led them to a win as the interim head coach when Saleh was out with COVID-19 in 2021. He’s never called plays before but he’d be supported by the locker room.
Matt Nagy (Chiefs senior assistant/QBs coach): Things went awry at the end of his tenure with the Bears but it’s easy to forget that Chicago won 12, eight and eight games in his first three years. Before that, he was the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs for two years and was one of the more sought-after coaching candidates when the Bears hired him.
Greg Olson (Rams senior offensive assistant): The 59-year-old has been an offensive coordinator for six teams and over the years has run a West Coast scheme. The Rams also might be hiring a new staff with Sean McVay potentially bolting for TV.
Kevin Patullo (Eagles passing game coordinator): The 41-year-old has never called plays but was the Jets QBs coach in 2015, when Ryan Fitzpatrick had one of his best years. Patullo has played a key role in the rise of the Eagles offense under Nick Sirianni.
Frank Reich (ex-Colts head coach): The pipe dream for many Jets fans, but it’s really just that — a pipe dream. Reich seems more likely to get another head coaching job than to take the offensive coordinator job for a head coach he doesn’t have ties to (Saleh) in a playoffs-or-bust season, and in a different style offense than Reich runs. He fits the mold of what the Jets should be looking for — veteran coach, play-calling experience, history of developing quarterbacks — but it would be a surprise if he were a real candidate unless Johnson forces him on Saleh.
Brian Schottenheimer (Cowboys coaching analyst): The 49-year-old spent the 2022 season on the Cowboys staff after one year with the Jaguars (passing game coordinator) and two as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator. He was the Jets’ offensive coordinator once upon a time (2006-11), so he’s a familiar face in Florham Park. He was also the Rams’ offensive coordinator from 2012-14.
Scott Turner (ex-Washington offensive coordinator): Turner, fired on Tuesday by the Commanders, spent the last three years calling plays for Washington.
(Top photo of Nathaniel Hackett and Robert Saleh: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
Jets offensive coordinator candidates: Nathaniel Hackett, Kliff Kingsbury and 14 others
In November, Mike LaFleur was listed as a future head coaching candidate by NFL.com. By January, he was out as the Jets’ offensive coordinator.
The Jets and LaFleur on Wednesday mutually agreed to part ways, according to a team official not authorized to speak publicly about the decision.
The news came three days after an ugly 11-6, season-ending loss to the Dolphins in Miami. It capped a terrible offensive stretch to end the season for the Jets, which ultimately cost LaFleur his job after two years. The Jets (7-10) didn’t score a touchdown in their final three games and averaged 11 points per game over the six-game losing skid, which was only made worse by how well the Jets’ defense played for most of the season. Quarterback Zach Wilson led the Jets with six passing touchdowns, and rookie running back Breece Hall led with 463 rushing yards — and the injured Hall didn’t play after Week 7.
GO DEEPER
The Jets missed Mekhi Becton, Breece Hall and AVT — and they’ll need them in 2023
Recently, Robert Saleh made it clear he felt LaFleur deserved a chance to stick around — 49ers fans called for Saleh to be fired after his second season as defensive coordinator in San Francisco, but he wasn’t — so it’s fair to wonder if owner Woody Johnson pushed the coach to move on from LaFleur. Ultimately, the Jets offense wasn’t good enough, though, and LaFleur paid the price.
Now, Saleh will likely seek to fill the role with a veteran coach with play-calling experience as he enters a 2023 season where anything short of making the playoffs won’t be good enough. The Jets want to develop Wilson into an NFL-caliber quarterback, though they will likely try bringing in a veteran quarterback to steer a moribund offense. Any offensive coordinator Saleh hires must understand that if things don’t turn around in 2023, Saleh and his staff might be looking for new jobs at this time next year.
So who are some candidates?
We came up with a list of 16 who make sense, listed in alphabetical order.
Darrell Bevell (Dolphins QBs coach/passing game coordinator): The 53-year-old has been the offensive coordinator for four teams, including the Seahawks when Saleh was on staff. This season, he’s worked with Mike McDaniel, who comes from the Kyle Shanahan tree, so the fit would be more seamless than some of the other veteran coaches on this list.
Tom Clements (Packers QBs coach): The 69-year-old has been the Bills and Packers offensive coordinator and would be coming from the staff of Matt LaFleur, one of Saleh’s closest friends.
Nathaniel Hackett (ex-Broncos head coach): He turned into an object of mockery, fired in less than one season in Denver. But before that he was a highly regarded offensive coordinator for the Packers — for Saleh’s friend Matt LaFleur. He also was the OC for the Jaguars from 2016-18, and Jacksonville’s QBs coach before that. He and Saleh were on the same staff in Jacksonville.
Pep Hamilton (Texans offensive coordinator): The 48-year-old ran a disjointed offense in Houston, though like LaFleur, he didn’t have much to work with at quarterback. He also was the offensive coordinator for the Colts in 2013-15 and has a reputation around the league for developing quarterbacks.
Brian Johnson (Eagles QBs coach): The 35-year old has only been an offensive coordinator at the college level (at Florida in 2020) but he’s considered a coach on the rise and played a major role in Jalen Hurts’ development into an MVP candidate.
Kliff Kingsbury (ex-Cardinals head coach): Once upon a time the Jets tried hiring him as head coach, so it’s conceivable Johnson might want to bring someone like him on board to help Saleh. Kingsbury will be paid by the Cardinals for a few more years, so he might not be in a rush to work.
GO DEEPER
How the Cardinals’ season of misery led to the end of the Kliff Kingsbury experiment
Gary Kubiak (retired former head coach): The 61-year-old Kubiak announced his retirement in 2021 and he’s unlikely to come out of it to call plays again. But he gave Saleh his first NFL coaching job and would be an ideal candidate to come in as a senior offensive assistant to help get the offense back on track. He might be more willing to work again if the Jets hired the next candidate on this list. …
Klint Kubiak (Broncos passing game coordinator/QBs coach): Saleh never technically worked with Kubiak, Gary Kubiak’s son, but he certainly knows him well from the ties to his father. The Broncos will be hiring a new coaching staff so this Kubiak will likely be looking for work. He doesn’t have play-calling experience but could still come onto the staff in some capacity (passing game coordinator? QBs coach?) to help rebuild the offense.
Ben McAdoo (Panthers offensive coordinator): The Panthers might just keep interim head coach Steve Wilks on full time, which would mean McAdoo would likely stay with the Panthers. But if not, McAdoo deserves a lot of credit for developing Sam Darnold into a solid NFL quarterback and he has plenty of play-calling experience from Carolina and his days with the Giants.
Ron Middleton was the National Team head coach at the 2022 Senior Bowl. (Vasha Hunt / USA Today)
Ron Middleton (Jets tight ends coach): He’s a popular figure among Jets players — many often wear a shirt bearing his likeness and signature catchphrase: “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die” — and won a lot of support when he led them to a win as the interim head coach when Saleh was out with COVID-19 in 2021. He’s never called plays before but he’d be supported by the locker room.
Matt Nagy (Chiefs senior assistant/QBs coach): Things went awry at the end of his tenure with the Bears but it’s easy to forget that Chicago won 12, eight and eight games in his first three years. Before that, he was the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs for two years and was one of the more sought-after coaching candidates when the Bears hired him.
Greg Olson (Rams senior offensive assistant): The 59-year-old has been an offensive coordinator for six teams and over the years has run a West Coast scheme. The Rams also might be hiring a new staff with Sean McVay potentially bolting for TV.
Kevin Patullo (Eagles passing game coordinator): The 41-year-old has never called plays but was the Jets QBs coach in 2015, when Ryan Fitzpatrick had one of his best years. Patullo has played a key role in the rise of the Eagles offense under Nick Sirianni.
Frank Reich (ex-Colts head coach): The pipe dream for many Jets fans, but it’s really just that — a pipe dream. Reich seems more likely to get another head coaching job than to take the offensive coordinator job for a head coach he doesn’t have ties to (Saleh) in a playoffs-or-bust season, and in a different style offense than Reich runs. He fits the mold of what the Jets should be looking for — veteran coach, play-calling experience, history of developing quarterbacks — but it would be a surprise if he were a real candidate unless Johnson forces him on Saleh.
Brian Schottenheimer (Cowboys coaching analyst): The 49-year-old spent the 2022 season on the Cowboys staff after one year with the Jaguars (passing game coordinator) and two as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator. He was the Jets’ offensive coordinator once upon a time (2006-11), so he’s a familiar face in Florham Park. He was also the Rams’ offensive coordinator from 2012-14.
Scott Turner (ex-Washington offensive coordinator): Turner, fired on Tuesday by the Commanders, spent the last three years calling plays for Washington.
(Top photo of Nathaniel Hackett and Robert Saleh: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys Dan Quinn ‘Kick-Ass’ Answer, Jim Harbaugh with Broncos, Kliff Kingsbury Fired: NFL Coach Tracker
JAN 10: DQ RESPONDS, HARBAUGH VISITS The Dallas Cowboys finished the regular season with a disappointing 26-6 loss on the road to the Washington Commanders, but that hasn’t slowed the interest in league circles in Dan Quinn as a head coach.
But on Monday, Quinn himself “slowed” things just a bit.
“Anybody asks you, you’re flattered, …” Quinn said Monday inside The Star about the interview request from the Broncos. “So just right where my feet are and enjoying, and then we’re gonna (have) a kick-ass week.”
That is the Cowboys’ defense coordinator’s rather standard answer to such questions, but it is also the truth in how he conducts his business. Yes, Quinn is yet again a candidate for the Denver job, a vacancy he interviewed for a year ago before Denver ultimately chose Nathaniel Hackett.
Meanwhile, the Broncos on Monday conducted a visit with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. And Sean Payton remains high on their wish list.
JAN 9: KLIFF FIRED Last March, Texas native Kliff Kingsbury signed a six-year extension as the head coach of the Cardinals.
And now it’s over.
Kingsbury led the Cardinals to a record of 4–13, their worst record since Kingsbury arrived in Arizona, and now he’s been fired.
JAN 9 QUINN DENVER REQUEST Dan Quinn and the Cowboys have received from Denver a request to interview the defensive coordinator, as first reported by NFL Network.
Quinn was a finalist for the same job a year ago. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has vowed to again keep Quinn working at The Star.
JAN 8 LOVIE OUT, EAGLES COACH IN? Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith has been fired, and sources tell us the Texans and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will have mutual interest moving forward.
Smith finished 3-13-1 in his lone season in charge.
Several league sources have labeled Gannon as a top candidate for the Texans’ potential opening after he made a strong impression during two interviews last season before the Texans promoted Smith from defensive coordinator.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero are other highly regarded candidates.
JAN 8: QUINN VS. THE DENVER FIELD Sean Payton’s people have whispered that he’s not interested in the Denver Broncos. And Jim Harbaugh this week came right out and said he’s planning on staying at the University of Michigan.
Both were … um … fibbing. And what they actually decide to do figures to impact the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff, especially defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Read all about it here.
JAN 8: LOVIE OUT? Sources tell us that coach Lovie Smith’s job security is considered to be in serious danger heading into the final game of another dismal season for the Texans. Furthermore, we are told Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and Houston would have mutual interest if the job comes open. Stay tuned …
JAN 8: PEES RETIRING? Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees is no stranger to hanging up the play sheet.
Pees, 73, is the NFL’s oldest coach and has twice retired, once following the 2017 season with the Baltimore Ravens before reversing course a month later and joining the Tennessee Titans, and again two years after, ultimately coming back to coaching after a season off once Arthur Smith took the head coaching job in Atlanta.
And if he retires again? Here’s the in-house list for the Falcons jump-up.
JAN 2: ‘DUMB’ MOVE – RON IN JEOPARDY? Cowboys at Commanders comes on the heels of this story: “Dumb’ Coach Ron Rivera Getting Fired by Dan Snyder?” This is worth monitoring … all because of a commitment to Carson Wentz.
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Latest News & Rumors on Kliff Kingsbury, Sean McVay, Sean Payton, and Others
Black Monday is a sobering day in the NFL — coaches are fired, families will be uprooted, and changes are made throughout organizations across the league. We’ll be bringing you the latest NFL news and rumors as they happen, so keep coming back throughout the day. The information below is current as of 5:19 p.m. ET.
Latest Black Monday NFL News and Rumors
Arizona Cardinals
Shortly before 12 p.m. ET, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Arizona Cardinals have fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Just 10 months ago, he signed a contract extension through the 2027 season. Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has been doing extensive research for the past several weeks, per numerous sources. Bidwill also said during his Monday press conference that QB Kyler Murray will have input on the next head coach.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport says that current Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will get a long look for the head coach position. We have more on the top Cardinals head coach candidates.
The Cardinals also announced that general manager Seve Keim has decided to step away from his position to focus on his health. Thus far, they’ve requested permission to interview 49ers’ Director of Pro Personnel Ran Carthon, 49ers’ Assistant General Manager Adam Peters, Bears Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham, and Titans Director of Player Personnel Monti Ossenfort.
Atlanta Falcons
Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees informed players this morning that he was retiring. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Falcons expect to cast a wide net and search for their next defensive coordinator.
In other Falcons news, they named Greg Beadlers their new president. Rich McKay will remain CEO of the Falcons with continued oversight over football operations. Additionally, he will assume CEO duties for AMBSE, the parent company of the Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and MLS Atlanta United.
Carolina Panthers
With the Panthers’ season now over, they’ll turn their attention to its head coaching search. FOX’s Jay Glazer reported that Harbaugh has already talked to Panthers owner David Tepper. Glazer also reported that they will interview former Colts head coach Frank Reich.
Additionally, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports that Jim Caldwell will be interviewing with the team today (Monday, Jan. 9).
Cleveland Browns
On Monday morning, the Cleveland Browns announced that they have relieved defensive coordinator Joe Woods of his duties. The Browns gave up 331.5 yards per game and 22.4 points per game, which ranked them about the middle of the pack in the league.
Several hours later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Browns have requested an interview with Patriots linebacker coach Jerod Mayo and former Dolphins head coach and current Steelers LB coach Brian Flores. They’ve also requested permission to interview Seahawks associate head coach for defense Sean Desai and former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are going to be busy as they look for their next head coach. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports that they’re set to interview Jim Harbaugh this week and that they have requested permission to interview Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Rapoport also notes that Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will be a candidate for the job.
MORE: Where Everything Stands With Broncos Head Coach Search
But all eyes will be on Sean Payton. Multiple reports, including this one from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, state that the Broncos have received permission from the New Orleans Saints to interview Payton for their head-coaching vacancy. Further, the two teams appear to understand and agree on what the trade compensation would look like. NFL rules state that Jan. 17 is the first date an in-person interview would be permitted.
MORE: Where Will Sean Payton Coach in 2023?
There is no deal in place, but the Broncos are expected to meet the Saints’ asking price, which is rumored to be a first-round draft pick and more. Conversations are at their initial stages between the Broncos and Saints, but a prerequisite for the Saints granting permissions to teams to interview Payton was that the other team would need to agree to the compensation first.
Since Payton is under contract with the Saints, New Orleans controls his rights and, thus, will be a major player in the Payton sweepstakes. Here’s more on Payton and his coaching career.
Houston Texans
Late Sunday evening, the Houston Texans announced that they fired head coach Lovie Smith. Smith follows another one-and-done head coach in Houston after David Culley was fired after the season last year. Houston was 3-13-1 under Smith, including a victory over the Colts in Week 18 that saw them lose the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Thus far, the Texans have requested to interview the following: Eagles OC Shane Steichen, Lions OC Ben Johnson, 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon, and Broncos DC Ejiro Evero.
Here are our top five candidates to replace Lovie Smith in Houston, with Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon an early favorite to land the job.
Indianapolis Colts
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts submitted requests to the Lions to interview defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for their head coaching job. They’ve also requested permission to interview Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.
Per multiple reports, the Colts are expected to conduct a wide search for their next head coach. There is no word yet if interim HC Jeff Saturday will be interviewed.
Los Angeles Rams
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, McVay’s future with the Rams is in doubt. Sources tell Schefter that McVay will take some time after Sunday’s regular-season games against the Seattle Seahawks to figure out if he will return for the 2023 season.
McVay has had several personal and professional circumstances arise in the past year, all of which are weighing on him during this process. McVay, at just 36 years old, would likely stun many by walking away.
FOX’s Jay Glazer said that many in the organization expect McVay to leave, and it won’t take too long after the conclusion of the regular season.
After winning the Super Bowl last year, the Rams were hit with a slew of injuries and do not have a first-round draft pick for the next several years. Plus, they are up against the 2023 salary cap, and changes to the coaching staff are expected. All of this will be in play as McVay considers his future.
If McVay walks away, the Rams will control his rights through the end of his contract, which is the end of the 2026 regular season.
New England Patriots
In a press conference earlier this morning, Bill Belichick announced that he’ll be back for his 24th season as the head coach of the New England Patriots. Belichick did not offer any hints about the future of his coordinators, especially on the offensive side with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.
“Every decision that we’ve made has always been with the intent to do the best thing for the football team,” Belichick said. “That’s the way it’s always been, and that’s what it will be going forward,” he said. “At different decision points, you have different opportunities. As those go along, or come along, we’ll continue to evaluate them.”
Tennessee Titans
On Monday afternoon, the Titans fired four assistant coaches – OC Todd Downing, OL Coach Keith Carter, Secondary Coach Anthony Midget, and Offensive Skill Assistant Erik Frazier. Tennesse has also begun the process of finding their next general manager. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports that they’ve requested to interview the following:
- Glenn Cook
Cleveland Browns Assistant General Manager - Ian Cunningham
Chicago Bears Assistant General Manager - Ryan Cowden
Titans Interim General Manager and Vice President of Player Personnel - Monti Ossenfort
Titans Director of Player Personnel - Adam Peters
49ers Assistant General Manager - Ran Carthon
49ers Director of Pro Personnel - Malik Boyd
Bills Senior Director of Pro Personnel - Quentin Harris
Cardinals Vice President of Player Personnel
Cardinals fire Kliff Kingsbury; GM Steve Keim steps aside
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury 10 months after signing him to a contract extension through the 2027 season.
The team also announced that general manager Steve Keim has decided to “step away from his position in order to focus on his health.”
Like Kingsbury, Keim signed an extension in 2022 that took his contract through the 2027 season. Keim, however, has been on a health-related leave of absence since mid-December.
Keim joined the Cardinals in 1999 as a college scout and, after years in the personnel department, was promoted to general manager in 2013.
Kingsbury was hired in January 2019, just two months after he was fired from Texas Tech, to resuscitate a fledgling offense and a struggling organization.
His firing comes a day after the Cardinals lost their season finale 38-13 to the San Francisco 49ers, completing a 4-13 season. Kingsbury finished his Cardinals career with a record of 28-37-1.
He experienced moderate success, leading Arizona to improved win totals in his first three seasons — from 5-10-1 in 2019 to 8-8 in 2020 and then a 2021 season in which the Cards went 11-6 and reached the playoffs. However, Kingsbury’s tenure with the Cardinals was marred by late-season drop-offs, underachieving and four years of undisciplined football.
That culminated with this past season’s results.
Although Kingsbury had to coach a team without DeAndre Hopkins for the first six games, without Kyler Murray for the last five games, without tight end Zach Ertz for the last seven games and without four of the Cardinals’ five starting offensive linemen for stretches this season, he was still relieved of his duties as the Cardinals set out to find their third head coach in the past six years. Despite being in existence for more than 100 years, the Cardinals have never had a head coach last longer than six years on the job.
Back-to-back late-season collapses in 2020 and 2021 overshadowed whatever success the Cardinals had built under Kingsbury, but it was also a trend. Dating back to his time at Texas Tech, Kingsbury’s teams had been successful early in seasons only to trend downward in the second half.
Through 2021, Kingsbury’s teams went 42-20-1 in the first seven games and 17-44 after. This season didn’t get off to as impressive a start, but things still fell apart in the backstretch. Arizona went 3-4 in its first seven games, then staggered to a 1-9 run.
Kingsbury believed this season would be a reverse of last. He said multiple times early in the season that 2022 could be the opposite of 2021 — the Cardinals would hopefully finish strong after a slow start due, in part, to not having Hopkins for the first six games because he was suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
Arizona also struggled to win at home, losing six straight at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022.
One consistent issue with Kingsbury’s scheme was its inability to adapt.
After a Week 6 loss to the Seahawks, Murray said teams were playing the Cardinals’ offense soft, making them “methodically move the ball.”
Kliff Kingsbury: Cardinals had “no idea” J.J. Watt was announcing retirement
The Cardinals found out that J.J. Watt was retiring at exactly the same time the rest of us did.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters on Wednesday that the team had “no idea” Watt would be announcing his retirement when he did it.
It’s unclear why Watt didn’t bother to share the information with his current employer before telling the world. His contract expires after the season, so it’s not as if he’s walking away with time left on his deal.
Maybe Watt simply didn’t trust the Cardinals to keep it quiet. When Watt deliberately announced that he’d had an issue with his heart, he did it because someone had said something to someone in the media about it, forcing his hand.
Regardless, the Cardinals didn’t know it was coming. Which is definitely a little weird.
Kingsbury has to go after Cardinals’ embarrassing loss to Rams
INGLEWOOD — The Cardinals owe their fans an apology. Especially the brave-hearted believers who swaggered into SoFi Stadium on Monday night expecting their football team to do the same.
Then it’s time for a change.
A new plan. A new head coach. And to complete the reboot, the team should unveil a host of brand new uniforms, as a cosmetic gesture of good faith.
It’s time to raise expectations across the board.
The Cardinals embarrassed themselves on Monday, slinking into the offseason with a 34-11 playoff loss to the Rams. In the process, they embarrassed every Arizonan who clung to delusions that the team would regain its Road Warrior mentality; that Playoff Kyler would be unstoppable; and that the return of J.J. Watt would provide all the necessary fuel.
“We put up an embarrassing performance,” Watt said. “There’s no other way to put it, really.”
As a result, the Cardinals joined the pile of NFL wildcard roadkill. But this was not a team that scrapped and clawed their way into the postseason. The Cardinals were 10-2 on Dec. 5. They were once the best team in professional football.
Don’t dare call this progress.
“A massive failure,” Watt said.
And yet Kingsbury will surely return for a fourth year in 2022. General Manager Steve Keim recently claimed his head coach was doing a “phenomenal job” and that he and owner Michael Bidwill were very happy with his performance.
But running it back yet again with this head coach, on the mantra of baby steps is a dangerous shell game, and I’m not sure why consecutive second-half collapses continue to be tolerated. I’m also certain that many disgusted fans will reject the incoming propaganda and claims of baby steps. And what I fear is that the whole regime has become too comfortable.
Bidwill is very friendly with Keim, who has produced consecutive playoff-worthy rosters and doesn’t deserve to lose his job. But Keim is clearly too content with a controllable head coach that has very little ego and defers to the GM at all costs.
The fear is they’re getting soft because the wealth never stops, even though winning seems to come to a halt midway through the season. Bidwill has a new team plane and a sportsbook opening soon and the NFL billions just keeps rolling in, year after year. And from Kingsbury to Markus Golden, too much credit was too easily given to the rival Rams. As if blowout losses in the postseason were just part of the workplace hazards in the NFL.
Of course, this loss goes beyond Kingsbury. This performance will leave a mark on Kyler Murray, who joins a small list of NFL quarterbacks with abysmal playoff debuts. His daffy decision to throw the ball up for grabs from his own end zone turned into a laughable Pick Six for the Rams, and it’s not the first time he’s panicked from his own end zone this season. Murray looked rattled and skittish and wholly uncomfortable for the first 2.5 quarters. He will need to atone for this in the future.
But in the NFL, the head coach sets the tone for everything. Did you see how 49ers boss Kyle Shanahan dialed up the perfect opening drive to get Jimmy Garoppolo rolling in their road victory at Dallas? Same with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, a quarterback who exorcised his own playoff demons on Monday. That’s what impact coaches do in big moments.
Too often, Kingsbury gets swallowed by these moments. And on Monday, he failed to get his quarterback in a comfort zone, failed to get James Conner rolling early, failed to get Zach Ertz involved in the offense.
“Experience is a big part of it,” Kingsbury said. “There’s only one way to experience playoff football and that’s to go through it. You just have to go through these moments, learn from it, grow from it and use it as motivation.”
Yes, experience matters. But they’ve been at this for three years. And for those keeping score: The Cardinals are 0-for-5 over the past two seasons in playoff-clinching games. They lost five of their last seven games in 2020-21, and five of their last six games in 2021-22. If you haven’t noticed, they do not function well under pressure. Not when the games really matter.
“Coming out the way we did, you’re not going to win playoff games,” Christian Kirk said.
And who wants to cheer on a team like that?
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta mornings from 6-10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
Follow @danbickley
Matthew Stafford soars, while Kliff Kingsbury flops
The quarterback who still has something to prove showed that maybe he really is built to win big games.
The head coach who still does too, showed that maybe he’s not.
The Los Angeles Rams, and QB Matthew Stafford, defeated the Arizona Cardinals, coached by Kliff Kingsbury on Monday, 30-23. While this was still a December regular season game in December, it might signal plenty about the January playoff ones to come.
Stafford did everything to win it. Kingsbury did enough to not.
Start with Stafford, who is closing in on 50,000 career passing yards, 320 career touchdowns and $250,000,000 in career salary.
There has never been any doubt about his ability to throw a football, a primary reason he was the No. 1 quarterback recruit coming out of high school, the No. 1 overall draft pick coming out of college.
Winning critical games? That’s a different question. In a dozen seasons in Detroit, Stafford never won a playoff game (0-3 in the wild-card round) or a division crown. Even significant regular season victories are tough to find on his resume.
The Rams went all in on his last offseason though, making a deal that included QB Jared Goff and two first-round draft picks on the belief that Stafford was a winner dragged down by Lions dysfunction.
The Rams are now 9-4, but it wasn’t really until Monday, on the road, with an injury and COVID-depleted roster, that Stafford looked like someone capable of leading L.A. to the Super Bowl.
He threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, including multiple completions featuring near impossible accuracy. He threw sidearm, downfield and seemingly through needles. He was brilliant.
“I thought Matthew Stafford was outstanding,” said Rams coach Sean McVay. “I thought he made great decisions, some unbelievable big shots he took advantage of, he was great on third down.”
This was exactly the Stafford the Rams were hoping to see. His connection with Cooper Kupp (13 catches for 123 yards) belies the fact that they are in their first season as teammates. His ability to make huge plays out of busted ones changed the game.
“I thought we were efficient in the passing game, taking what they gave us and then we took some shots and hit those shots,” said Stafford, who hit Odell Beckham Jr. for 40 yards, Kupp for 44 and Van Jefferson Jr. for 58.
Then there were the little things, the winning things. Maybe none was bigger than chasing down his own fumble after being strip sacked. Just about everyone else on the field thought it was just an incomplete pass. It wasn’t. The ball was live. Stafford recovered and two snaps later threw a touchdown that pushed the lead to 27-13.
“I was screaming as I was running [for it],” Stafford said. “I [thought] it was an incomplete pass but I didn’t want to leave it to chance.”
Those were the moments that Arizona lacked. It doesn’t all fall on the coach, but while Kingsbury has done excellent work to get the Cardinals to 10-3, no one has any idea if the third year coach is built for the playoffs, where every decision gets magnified.
Among the questionable ones was a fourth-and-1 from the Rams’ 37-yard line with 5:24 remaining in the game and Arizona trailing by 10. Kick the field goal – Matt Prater was bombing them in – and it’s a one score game with plenty of time left. The Cardinals were always going to need a field goal.
Instead they went for it, got stuffed and handed L.A. a huge advantage. Even though the Rams were forced to punt, they still had a two-score lead.
“I like the call, it just didn’t work out,” Kingsbury said. “You’ve got to give them credit. I’d go for it 100 times out of 100.”
When the Cardinals got the ball back with 2:44 remaining, they ran an 11-play drive until fourth down forced them to attempt a 49-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining. Prater hit it, cutting the lead to 30-23, but there was almost no time left. They had numerous options to kick sooner and preserve the clock.
Instead, after the Cards recovered the onside kick, they were forced into a hurried, sloppy drive that featured two offensive penalties and some final-play confusion on whether Kyler Murray was supposed to spike it or attempt a Hail Mary. Instead, with an offensive line not blocking, Aaron Donald ended the game with a sack.
“It was miscommunication between me and the o-line,” Murray said. “They thought it was going to be ‘spike.’ But that’s heat of the moment stuff. I don’t even recall what was being said in the helmet.”
That’s the kind of stuff that needs to be sewn up. It was just part of the problem.
“A lot of penalties, the two turnovers, conversions on fourth down,” Murray said. “If we do a lot of things differently, it would have ended differently.”
Except they didn’t. So it didn’t. Arizona is still first in the NFC West, although it has given up on the No. 1 seed. Kingsbury could only shrug. Considering his team is just 3-3 at home and 7-0 on the road this season, however, he joked that maybe they’re better off as a lower seed.
Kingsbury has just one year on his contract remaining and his name got floated (probably not coincidentally) for an open job at the University of Oklahoma, even though the Sooners never considered him.
This has been a breakthrough season and Arizona would be wise to keep him around. But the spotlight of January is coming, and any backfiring decision can end a season and wreck a reputation.
It’s the big games, the playoff games, after all, where respect is truly handed out.
Just ask Matthew Stafford. He’s still looking for his.