There will be at least one new head coach in the NFC West, and that’s before finding out what path Sean McVay will choose. On Monday, the Cardinals fired Kliff Kingsbury after a 4-13 season, parting ways with the coach less than a year after signing him to a multi-year extension.
McVay could be the second coach to exit the NFC West if he decides to retire, but what if he stays and keeps Kingsbury in the division? That’s one possibility, according to FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman.
Buy Rams TicketsFeldman has heard in coaching circles that if McVay stays with the Rams, Kingsbury may head to Los Angeles and join McVay’s staff. Feldman didn’t specify what job Kingsbury would have, but with Liam Coen potentially leaving the Rams for Kentucky, there could be an opening at offensive coordinator.
Something to keep an eye on with the Cards firing Kliff Kingsbury: Heard some talk this weekend in coaching circles that IF Sean McVay stays with the Rams, Kliff may come back to LA (he was on staff at USC for a quick minute before the Cards hired him) joining the Rams staff.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 9, 2023
Kingsbury joining the Rams as an assistant isn’t as crazy as it sounds. In 2018, McVay reached out to Kingsbury about joining his staff in Los Angeles after he was fired by Texas Tech. It never came to fruition, but Kingsbury said he was “close” to joining the Rams that year.
“Close,” Kingsbury said on the Dan Patrick Show four years ago. “I really have a ton of respect for Coach McVay and what he’s done. Great dude who treats people the right way, innovative on offense, high energy. I would’ve loved to see, on a daily basis, how he does things and would’ve tried to contribute anyway I can. But just felt like this was the right spot for me at the right time.”
Kingsbury didn’t have much success with the Cardinals in the last four years. He went 28-37-1 in the regular season and lost his only playoff game, which happened to be against the Rams.
For a coach who’s supposed to be offensive-minded, the Cardinals only finished top 10 in points once during his tenure.
