Kliff Kingsbury Rumors: USC OC Expected to Interview with Jets, Cardinals

Former Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kingsbury is reportedly expected to interview with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets about their head coaching vacancies.

On Tuesday, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported Kingsbury, who agreed to become the USC Trojans' offensive coordinator in December, is also a coveted candidate for NFL offensive coordinator positions, but it's unclear whether he'd be willing to interview for one of those jobs.

Kingsbury was fired by Texas Tech in November after the team finished the 2018 campaign at 5-7, including a season-ending five-game losing streak. He posted a 35-40 record across six years.

Last month, he said during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show (via Reign of Troy's Alicia de Artola) he felt USC was the best fit despite an offer from the Los Angeles Rams.

"Just felt like this was the right spot for me at the right time," Kingsbury said.

The 39-year-old Texas native remains in high demand despite the lackluster record because of his offensive success with the Red Raiders, highlighted by the 2016 season when they led the nation at 567 yards per game with current Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.

Arizona and New York both feature young quarterbacks, Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold, respectively, who could benefit from working alongside the guru of high-powered passing games.

Kingsbury will likely be selective in deciding whether to make a quick exit from USC, though. Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported he already turned down a "lucrative offer" from the Houston Cougars to become a college head coach again.

Robinson noted two other NFL teams searching for head coaches have Kingsbury on their "candidate lists" but have yet to decide whether to schedule a formal interview.