Days after his dismissal as Cardinals head coach, Kliff Kingsbury is drawing interest from around the NFL, with multiple teams targeting him for their offensive coordinator vacancies, according to Fox Sports. That doesn't mean Kingsbury is set to return to the sidelines anytime soon. The 43-year-old coach recently bought a one-way ticket to Thailand, according to Peter Schrager, and has respectfully declined all inquiries, telling teams he's not currently interested in coaching.
This echoes previous speculation from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, who suggested after Kingsbury's firing that the former Texas Tech coach was a candidate to step away from the game. Highly paid by Arizona, which last March signed the coach to a six-year contract extension through 2027, Kingsbury was perceived to be especially worn down by the Cardinals' tumultuous 2022 campaign, in which the team went 4-13 and endured a number of off-field controversies.
In addition to potential coordinator jobs, Kingsbury's Texas ties made him a logical candidate for the Texans' current head-coaching vacancy. But other big-name coaches have taken a hiatus, only to return to the sidelines later. Recent examples include the Cowboys' Mike McCarthy, who spent the 2019 season away from the NFL after his dismissal from the Packers; the Jaguars' Doug Pederson, who took 2021 off after his exit from the Eagles; and the Saints' Sean Payton, who is interviewing for a new job after stepping away from New Orleans this season. Rams coach Sean McVay has also pondered retirement lately.
Kingsbury went 28-37-1 in four years as the Cardinals' head coach, guiding a single playoff appearance. He previously went 35-40 in six seasons as Texas Tech's coach.
