HOUSTON – The Texans are interviewing former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury today in Houston at NRG Stadium for their offensive coordinator vacancy, according to league sources.
A New Braunfels native, Kingsbury, 43, is a former Texas Tech head coach, University of Houston assistant coach and Texas A&M offensive coordinator. He coached Kyler Murray with the Cardinals, Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech and Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M.
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He signed a six-year extension in March of 2022, but the Cardinals didn’t meet expectations and went 4-13 and he was fired on Jan. 9 after going 28-37-1 with one playoff appearance. The Cardinals went 11-6 in 2021 and finished second in the NFC West, but were knocked out of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild-card round. The Cardinals went 5-10-1 in Kingsbury’s first season and 8-8 in 2020.
Kingsbury, a former Texas Tech quarterback, was a New England Patriots sixth-round draft pick who also played for the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and in the CFL and NFL Europe.
At UH in 2011, the Coogs led the NCAA in yards and points before Kingsbury was hired by the Aggies and coached Manziel as he won a Heisman trophy.
When he was hired by Texas Tech, his alma mater, he was 33 and the third-youngest coach.
Kingsbury is known for his work with quarterbacks, play-calling acumen and for having a good background in a freewheeling offensive system.
Arizona went 3-4 in its first seven games, then 1-9 to finish the season.
The Cardinals had to deal with former Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ six-game suspension for a violation of the NFL performance-enhancing drug policy, Murray’s season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament and several other injuries.
The Texans have also interviewed 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik, Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals receivers coach Troy Walters and former New England Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley, who’s now the Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach, according to sources.
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com