Getty The Athletic's Mike DeFabo named former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury an offensive coordinator candidate for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Not every great offensive mind becomes a great NFL head coach. But that doesn’t mean that mind can’t still be very useful in an offensive coordinator role like with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is quickly becoming one of the poster children for that argument this offseason.
Kingsbury failed as an NFL head coach, going 28-37-1 with the Cardinals. But he’s still regarded as one of the top offensive gurus and quarterback developers available for 2024.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo named Kingsbury one of the top potential candidates for the Steelers’ offensive coordinator opening.
“Kingsbury is considered something of a quarterback whisperer,” DeFabo wrote. “During his four-year stint as the Arizona Cardinals head coach, he helped Kyler Murray win Offensive Rookie of the Year and make it to two Pro Bowls. Before that, he worked with Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech and helped Johnny Manziel win the Heisman Trophy in 2012 as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
“He’s going to be a hot name this cycle and is scheduled to meet with the Chicago Bears, who could be targeting the USC quarterback he helped develop, Caleb Williams.”
The Cardinals fired Kingsbury after the 2022 season. He spent last season as a senior offensive analyst on the USC coaching staff.
How Kliff Kingsbury Could Fit as Steelers Offensive Coordinator
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on January 18 that he is only in the early stages of the process to hire the team’s next offensive coordinator. But he did indicate quite a bit of what he is looking for in candidates.
Tomlin said he’d prefer to hire a coach with previous offensive coordinator experience. He added that the Steelers are not considering internal candidates.
“I just feel it’s appropriate [to make an outside hire],” said Tomlin.
With Kingsbury calling plays in Arizona, the Cardinals finished top 10 in offensive yards during 2020 and 2021. In each of his first three seasons, the Cardinals were also in the top half of the league in points scored.
Prior to becoming the Cardinals head coach, Kingsbury was the head coach at Texas Tech for six years. From 2010-12, he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Houston and Texas A&M.
Kingsbury checks the experience box for Tomlin. As DeFabo noted, Kingsbury has also worked with a lot of successful quarterbacks.
More than anything, the Steelers need their next offensive coordinator to be able to unlock the potential of quarterback Kenny Pickett.
“This game is quarterback-driven,” Tomlin said. “Offenses are quarterback-driven. So their expertise in that area is a significant component of the search from my perspective.”
Other Potential Steelers OC Candidates
When the dust settles on the NFL head coach searches, there could be a lot of open offensive coordinator positions. It remains to be seen if the Steelers opening is a preferred landing spot for someone such as Kingsbury.
But the good news is there are also a lot of quality candidates. That’s true even if the Steelers only want coaches with previous experience.
DeFabo listed 13 other candidates besides Kingsbury for the Steelers offensive coordinator opening. Of those other candidates, only one of them didn’t have previous offensive coordinator experience.
Pittsburgh’s search for its next offensive coordinator could be an extensive one. In fact, that’s to be expected given how important of a hire it is for the team’s immediate and long-term future.