After Kingsbury’s departure, the Cardinals are considering an offensive-minded coach once more.
The Arizona Cardinals made waves in the NFL on Monday morning when they announced the dismissal of head coach Kliff Kingsbury following his four-year tenure.
Kingsbury’s time in the Valley concluded with a record of 28-37-1, highlighted by a disappointing 4-13 season in 2022. Just one year prior, the Cardinals captivated Arizona sportsbooks with a playoff push.
Arizona is in the market for its seventh head coach since 2000, with the goal of finding a successor to Kingsbury who can guide the team to its first playoff win in seven years.
Yengols.com conducted an analysis of Kingsbury’s tenure in Arizona, comparing it to past coaches and also evaluating the likelihood of his potential successor for the upcoming season.
Cardinals Next Coach Odds
Is it possible for a new coach to guide the Cardinals to victory? Check out yengols.com for the best Arizona NFL betting opportunities.
Who will take over for Kingsbury in Arizona?
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has a wide range of choices when it comes to selecting a replacement for Kingsbury, with many candidates having ties to the team’s former head coach.
Byron Leftwich, a former NFL quarterback and current offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is one of the top semi-internal candidates.
Under the mentorship of Bruce Arians in Arizona and Tampa Bay, Leftwich steadily progressed through the coaching ranks in the NFL. Beginning as a coaching intern in 2016, he went on to serve as the Cardinals’ quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator from 2017 to 2018.
After joining in 2019, he quickly became known as one of the NFL’s most talented young players, leading Tampa Bay’s offensive resurgence alongside Tom Brady.
Following Dirk Koetter’s departure after the 2018 season, Tampa Bay’s scoring offense saw a notable improvement, moving from the 12th-ranked in the NFL to a top-five unit in each of the years from 2019 to 2021.
After taking on the position of offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018, Eric Bieniemy has rapidly become a highly desired figure in the NFL coaching world.
Throughout his time as quarterback, Patrick Mahomes has solidified himself as a standout player in the NFL, leading the Chiefs to consistently rank in the top five for points scored and total yards gained.
The Chiefs assistant coach, who has a wealth of experience, is considered a top candidate for any of the NFL coaching openings this offseason, along with Leftwich and other highly qualified candidates.
Former Saints coach Sean Payton, who is currently not coaching in the league, is one of the potential contenders to make a comeback.
After leading the Saints to a Super Bowl victory and nine playoff appearances from 2006 to 2021, Payton has decided to take a break from coaching. Despite this, he remains a prominent figure to watch during the upcoming offseason.
Yengols.com offers access to top Arizona sports betting promotions from the leading operators nationwide.
Potential candidates for the Cardinals job to keep an eye on.
The NFL coaching carousel often results in surprising decisions, such as when the Cardinals chose Kingsbury over several other NFL candidates in 2019.
That is why Bidwill and the team might choose to go with a less well-known assistant, such as Arizona’s current defensive coordinator and former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, or Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
From 2017 to 2018, Joseph held an 11-21 record with the Broncos, but in 2021 he led Arizona to top-10 rankings in multiple defensive categories.
Over the course of two years, Moore has led the Cowboys to top-10 rankings in points scored per game, rushing yards gained per game, and passing touchdowns thrown.
In the past, Moore, as well as Leftwich and Bieniemy, have frequently been mentioned as popular candidates for various NFL coaching positions.
There is speculation that University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh may be the top candidate to transition from college to the NFL this offseason. This speculation is fueled by his interest in the Vikings coaching position last year and the ongoing NCAA investigation of the program.
Less probable candidates for the Cardinals position are Arians, who retired from coaching last year, 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, and Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.
Longest serving head coaches in Cardinals history
yengols.com provides reviews of the newest sports betting apps in Arizona.
Kingsbury’s tenure concludes quietly after a strong start.
Arizona’s decision to hire Kingsbury was surprising because of his lack of experience coaching in the NFL, his background in the “Air Raid” offense, and his previous struggles as head coach at Texas Tech, where he had graduated from.
During his initial three seasons, he managed to boost Arizona’s final win count, guiding the Cardinals from a record of 5-10-1 in 2019 to 11-6 in 2021.
Kingsbury’s winning streak was halted when the Cardinals suffered a 34-11 defeat in the Wild Card game against the eventual Super Bowl champions, the L.A. Rams.
Kingsbury’s coaching tenure with the Cardinals spanned 66 games, ranking as the eighth-longest in team history. He achieved the seventh-highest winning percentage in franchise history at .432.
Arians has the best winning percentage in franchise history at .619, followed by Don Coryell at .607, Charley Winner at .538, and Jimmy Conzelman at .523 as the only other Cardinals coaches to finish above .500.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Author
With over seven years of experience covering sports and sports betting in Arizona, Peterson Christopher has worked for ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News. Currently, he is the lead writer at yengols.com.
As acknowledged by prominent media sources such as: