Kliff Kingsbury’s connections to Caleb Williams make him the Bears’ coaching candidate

Thirteen weeks later, Matt Eberflus became the first head coach to lose his job in the 2024 regular season. With the Chicago Bears now without a head coach, rumors are swirling about their next potential hire, with Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury being an obvious name to consider.

Because of his ties to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams at USC, Kingsbury is a name to keep an eye on this coming offseason, Ian Rapoport reported. Kingsbury was an offensive analyst under Lincoln Riley at USC during the 2023 season; Williams’ final year in Los Angeles.

Like Williams, Kingsbury left USC for the NFL after the 2023 season. Kingsbury thrived in his first year as the Commanders’ offensive coordinator, and many credit him for the early success of freshman Jayden Daniels. Therefore, he is considered one of several offensive coordinators to be considered as head coaching candidates in the 2025 offseason.

While Kingsbury has become a name to keep an eye on, previous reports suggest the team will prioritize interim coach Thomas Brown. Should Brown lead Chicago to a promising end to the 2024 season, he would have a clear lead over the competition and would be retained as a permanent employee.

Brown took over following the Bears’ Week 13 loss to the Detroit Lions and has five games remaining through the end of the 2024 season. The 38-year-old Sean McVay alum began the year as the team’s passing game coordinator before being promoted to offensive coordinator and ultimately interim head coach.

Kliff Kingsbury’s checkered coaching career

Should he be hired as head coach next summer, Kingsbury would get a second chance in the NFL. He was previously head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022 and went just 28-37-1 in the four years before his firing. Prior to that, Kingsbury was the head coach of his alma mater, Texas Tech, for six seasons.

As rough as his tenure with the Cardinals ended, his Arizona heritage remains one of the most unorthodox coaching hires in league history. Shortly after his dismissal from Texas Tech, Kingsbury agreed to become USC’s offensive coordinator. But a month later, he mysteriously shocked the football world when he signed with Arizona to become their next head coach. Both his lack of qualifications and the terms of his employment were questioned following the announcement.

Since retiring from professional football in 2007, Kingsbury immediately emerged as an offensive-minded coaching talent at the University of Houston from 2008 to 2011. A former quarterback, he is often credited for his development work with young signal players, starting with coaching Houston’s Case Keenum is on pace to become the NCAA’s all-time passing yards leader.

Kingsbury is also credited with the early development of Patrick Mahomes, whom he coached in college at Texas Tech. He also served as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2012, the year Johnny Manziel took home the Heisman Trophy.