Kliff Kingsbury bought a one way ticket to Thailand and won’t be back for the foreseeable future.
Former #Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury has had several teams contact him about interviewing for a job on their coaching staff but he turned them down.
@PSchrags reports that Kliff bought a one-way ticket to Thailand and told teams: “No, I’m good.”
The Arizona Cardinals are in search of their next head coach after dismissing Kliff Kingsbury after just four seasons at the helm in the desert.
Speculation swirls on who the Cardinals will bring in. Thus far, they have requested to interview four different candidates: current defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
With Steve Keim stepping down, the Cardinals are also in search of a new general manager. 2023 will feature their fourth head coach and second general manager since 2013.
While the Cardinals hope they can change their current losing culture, speculation continues to swirl around Kingsbury and his future. The former Texas Tech head coach has been linked with a handful of teams including the New England Patriots, but it appears he’ll be taking next year off to recharge.
NFL insider Peter Schrager reports that Kingsbury is dipping out of the country:
“As I just reported on FOX, multiple teams have contacted Kliff Kingsbury for their vacant OC job. He bought a one way ticket to Thailand and has told teams (respectfully) that he’s not interested at the moment.”
“I don’t know if this is breaking news or not: Kliff Kingsbury is in Thailand right now, and he bought a one-way ticket to Thailand,” Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager said Saturday. “He’s already been contacted by several different teams whether he wants to interview about a job and he’s said, ‘No, I’m good.'”
Kingsbury was fired after the Cardinals went 4-13 in 2022, and general manager Steve Keim also departed the team to address his health. In four years under Kingsbury, the Cardinals went 28-37-1 and 10-22-1 in their home stadium.
Despite his lack of success as a head coach, Kingsbury is still a respected offensive mind and reportedly had been eyed for a coordinator position with the New England Patriots, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (h/t NESN’s Dakota Randall).
Schrager noted that Kingsbury had signed a six-year extension through 2027 with Arizona prior to this season and is still owed that money, so there’s no rush for him to make a decision.
“He’s being paid five years, guaranteed by the Arizona Cardinals, that check hits every two weeks,” Schrager said. “He’s gonna take his time if he wants to come back to football, but for now, he has told all teams, ‘I’m not interested in returning at the moment.'”
The Cardinals are a team in transition, as they will be under a new regime in 2023. The status of star quarterback Kyler Murray is also in question amid his recovery from a torn ACL, as he might not return in time for the start of next season.
Arizona holds the No. 3 pick in this year’s NFL draft. Kliff Kingsbury, he bought a one way ticket to Thailand and won’t be back for the foreseeable future.
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