Kliff Kingsbury owns up to 1 of his biggest mistakes as Cardinals head coach

It’s been a couple years since Kliff Kingsbury was leading the charge as Arizona Cardinals head coach.

A once promising trajectory came crashing down hard for the former head coach behind a 28-37-1 mark paired with dysfunction both on and off the field.

Despite Kingsbury inking a contract extension just nine months prior, the writing was on the wall before his firing following a 4-13 finish that left little trust in what the previous regime was selling.

Now helping lead another young quarterback fresh out of college in Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders’ current offensive coordinator is back in the coaching carousel as a candidate for the Chicago Bears’ vacancy, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

As Kingsbury told reporters Thursday, he’d like to be a head coach again “at some point.”

But if there’s one thing he’s hoping not to repeat if that were to happen, it’s arguably the biggest reason behind his firing in the first place.

Kliff Kingsbury, when asked if he wants to be a head coach again: pic.twitter.com/JbRUUF4cUL

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 2, 2025

“I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Coming from college, I bounced around teams as a player, but not as a coach on any level,” Kingsbury told reporters Thursday. “So, coming (to Arizona), I don’t think I set the foundation the way I would do it after watching (Commanders head coach Dan Quinn) and how he set the foundation from Day 1 and these were the standards, this is what we won’t compromise, this is what we’re going to be. I definitely could have done a better job at that.

“Once you don’t lay it out like that, it’s hard to put it back in. It’s hard to kinda reset it. I think that’s where he’s done such a great job of ‘This is what we’re going to be from Day 1.’ There were no ifs, ands or buts and the guys bought in. He’s led an incredible way by doing that.”

There were quite a few faults on Kingsbury’s part during his tenure as head coach, whether it be a predictable offensive attack, putting all the team’s marbles on signal caller Kyler Murray or the off-the-field distractions that occurred under his rule.

A lot of that leads back to the foundation Kingsbury set for the franchise. And by his final season at the helm, it was apparent the culture was nowhere near where it needed to be for fostering a winning environment.

That’s why bringing in a guy like Jonathan Gannon, whose vision centers around develop and team-first mentality, alongside general manager Monti Ossenfort, was an important piece to setting Arizona’s new direction.

The win totals aren’t where Gannon and Co. want them to be two years in, but progress is being made. Above all else, the buy-in within the locker room is visible.

As for the foundation Kingsbury left behind? It’s long been torn down with a new, much sturdier one, in its place.

“They’re doing everything I feel like the right way and for the betterment of the team,” Murray said of the new regime back in July. “It kind of allows me to be myself. JG understands how I am and who I am as a competitor. He wants to see me succeed, he wants to see the team succeed.

“Our communication, we’re locked in. I love everything that they’re doing, our relationship is going to continue to grow and I’m excited about it.”

Kliff Kingsbury being “selective” with potential head-coaching opportunities

In addition to naming the Bears as a team that is expected to interview Kingsbury, Fowler also mentioned the former head coach will be “selective” when it comes to potential landing spots.

The facts that he’s still getting paid by the Cardinals and has the former Arizona State Sun Devil Daniels under his wing — as Fowler mentioned — could have something to do with that thinking, too.

“I won’t comment on that, but we’ll see how everything plays out,” Kingsbury said when asked if he was planning to interview for any head-coaching jobs this offseason. “I’m very happy here. This has been an awesome place and it’s really helped me rekindle my love for the sport.”

From the outside looking in, a Kingsbury-Chicago pairing makes sense given the coach’s ties with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams from their time together at USC.

The Bears may not be the only potential suitor, either, with the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints two more teams heading into the offseason without a head coach.

And there could always be more on black Monday, the day after the season ends where failing coaches typically get the ax.

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