Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.
After a long interview process, it appears the Las Vegas Raiders have decided on who they want to be the offensive coordinator in 2024. According to a February 1 X post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is expected to hire former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Raiders are expected to hire former Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury as their offensive coordinator, per league sources.
Kingsbury has been linked to the Raiders even before Antonio Pierce was named head coach and it looks like he’s getting the guy he always wanted. After getting fired by the Cardinals last season, Kingsbury took a brief hiatus before becoming a senior offensive analyst for USC.
There he was able to work closely with the expected No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft Caleb Williams. This will be the first time Kingsbury has been a coordinator at the NFL level and he hasn’t been in the role since 2012 with Texas A&M. The Raiders are likely to add a quarterback this offseason and Kingsbury has a long track record of developing quarterbacks from Patrick Mahomes to Kyler Murray.
A deal has yet to be finalized but it’s looking like the Raiders have finally got their next offensive coordinator.
Is Kliff Kingsbury the Right Fit?
Last season, the Raiders had Bo Hardegree take over offensive coordinator duties after Josh McDaniels was fired as head coach. He had not called plays prior to that and it showed as Las Vegas had one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
Kliff Kingsbury is the complete opposite as he has over a decade of experience calling plays at the college and NFL levels. What’s a bit of a surprise is that Kingsbury is famous for utilizing an Air Raid style of offense that favors spreading the offense and throwing the ball a lot.
Antonio Pierce is a defensive-minded head coach and defensive-minded head coaches typically like to run the ball. This shows that Pierce is willing to let his offensive coordinator own the offense. However, this likely isn’t a good sign for quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Kingsbury has had most of his success with quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs. O’Connell is not that type of player. This hiring makes it very likely that the team will attempt to draft a quarterback this year.
Marvin Lewis Named Assistant Head Coach
One this is clear from Antonio Pierce’s coaching staff moves: He wants to surround himself with experience. Pierce has only been coaching at the NFL level for two years and is going to need some guidance. The Kliff Kingsbury addition helps. He now has an experienced football mind to run the offense.
He’ll also have a more experienced coach right next to him. According to a February 1 X post from KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, Marvin Lewis is going to be named assistant head coach.
It’s been known for a while that Lewis was joining the staff but it wasn’t clear what his role was. His role should be rather large now that he’s the assistant head coach. Lewis has been coaching for over 40 years, which includes a 16-year stint as the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s about as experienced as they come and should be a valuable resource for Pierce.