Not even Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury can 1-up Mike Bercovici in Scottsdale

GLENDALE — Cardinals offensive assistant Mike Bercovici might be just a few years into his coaching career with Arizona, but in terms of his time in the Valley, the Arizona State alum has his head coach beat tenfold.

And Kliff Kingsbury knows it.

“We call him the local celebrity. … I actually did a presentation with the offensive unit that if you ever go out with him, you’re playing for second place already because he’s like the Pied Piper around here,” Kingsbury said Monday. “He obviously has the ASU status, which carries him a long way in Scottsdale.”

On top of one-upping his head coach during a night out on the town, Bercovici is also leaving his mark on how he goes about his business on the field.

“He’s got a great football mind. I think the biggest thing I noticed early on was just the rapport with the players,” Kingsbury said. “They respect how he carries himself.

“I think he’s done a good job building relationships within the building and with the players and they know he works his tail off and they know how he coaches. … There’s a level of trust he’s built with the guys.”

Originally joining the coaching staff in 2020, the former signal caller was promoted from a coaching assistant to an offensive assistant this offseason.

After working with the quarterbacks last season, Bercovici now turns his attention to the tight ends.

“He knows the offense inside out, so it’s great having him in our room now, because you get the whole new perspective on what they’re thinking, what we should be thinking,” tight end Maxx Williams said Monday.

“It makes him a more rounded coach too because now he’s getting more into the tight end and blocking and knowing more of that stuff. It’s been great having him in the room.”

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