Kliff Kingsbury is on the open market. The former Texas Tech head coach and record-setting Red Raiders quarterback was relieved of his duties as Arizona Cardinals HC on Monday, with focus immediately turning to his future. Could his departure from the desert lead to him honing in on a college football head-coach job in 2023?
Could Kliff Kingsbury Be a College Football Head Coach in 2023?
At this moment in time, it seems highly unlikely that Kingsbury will be a college football head coach in 2023. All 23 programs that saw some form of head-coach departure either during or after the 2022 college football season has filled their vacancy, leaving the Texas Tech alum with nowhere to run to following his departure from the Arizona Cardinals on Monday.
The only potential vacancy for Kingsbury is at the Michigan Wolverines, where the near-constant rumors swirling around Jim Harbaugh could result in an opening. With NCAA violations and College Football Playoff failure looming over his head, Harbaugh reportedly has an interview with the Denver Broncos for their head-coaching vacancy this week. However, the feeling is that he’ll only depart Ann Arbor if there isn’t a revised deal on his existing contract.
While there aren’t any openings currently available for Kingsbury to return as a college football head coach in 2023, the sport is a brutal business. Early-season hirings and firings are commonplace. If he’s willing to hang around and bide his time, the recently axed Cardinals coach could be a candidate for any potential vacancy that opens up once the 2023 college football season kicks off.
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Which coaches are on the hot seat, potentially offering Kingsbury an opportunity to be a college football head coach in 2023?
After a dismal season that included an 11-game losing streak, Pat Fitzgerald might be considered the most under-pressure HC entering the 2023 campaign. Jimbo Fisher survived a dismal season and a dust-up with Nick Saban but might not last much longer. His dismissal from Texas A&M would allow Kingsbury to return to the state that made him, as well as the program where he was the offensive coordinator for Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.
While potential buyout values will undoubtedly play a part in the temperature of the seat, Houston might have a vacancy sooner rather than later. Dana Holgerson’s team had high external expectations this season and significantly failed to live up to it. A difficult start that points to a downward trajectory might hasten Holgerson’s departure and allow Kingsbury to return to a Cougars program where he got his first coaching role in 2008.
Should Kingsbury Be a College Football Head Coach in 2023?
While a path back to being a college football head coach in 2023 is littered with potential pitfalls, not least that there are currently no vacancies, a more significant question exists. Should Kingsbury be afforded the opportunity to be a college football head coach in 2023?
When a coach fails in the NFL — and with a 28-38-1 record, the Cardinals clearly deem Kingsbury’s tenure as a failure — there’s an easy assumption they can just return to the college football level and automatically become a successful head coach. That is certainly Nebraska’s hope, where the Cornhuskers are banking on getting the Baylor version of Matt Rhule rather than the caricature that coached the Carolina Panthers to an 11-27 record between 2020 and 2022.
Having those same thoughts about Kingsbury might be ill-advised. There’s no doubt that the Houston and Texas A&M offenses that he led as the coordinator were menacing brutes who put up yardage and points for fun. After all, he was the 2011 Offensive Coordinator of the Year for the Cougars and a finalist for the Broyles Award following the 2012 campaign with Texas A&M and Manziel.
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However, as a college football head coach, he was far from successful.
Despite two winning seasons with Texas Tech, the best of which came from his first season in 2013, Kingsbury was relieved of his command following the 2018 campaign. He left the Red Raiders with a 35-40 overall record, going 1-2 in bowl games. Of those 35 wins, 13 came over Group of Five and FCS opposition. Kingsbury tallied a dismal 19-35 record in Big 12 play while being the head coach of the Red Raiders.
Kingsbury allowed Baker Mayfield, a future Heisman Trophy winner, to walk out of Texas Tech by keeping faith in Davis Webb (despite losing five consecutive games to end the 2013 season). With Patrick Mahomes on his roster, Kingsbury won just 16 games between 2014 and 2016. Texas Tech defenses under his stewardship never ranked higher than 88th in the FBS for scoring defense, finishing 126th, 125th, and 128th between 2014 and 2016.
Could Kingsbury return as a college football head coach in 2023? Unlikely. Should he? Probably not. He was in a position to be the USC offensive coordinator before the surprise call-up to the NFL, and a return to college football should pick back up where it left off. It’s time to elevate successful coaches and coordinators from Group of Five programs before backsliding to former head coaches with a significant amount of failure attached to their résumé.
