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Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingbury could soon be on the market in a move that would send waves through both the college and NFL communities. ESPN is reporting Kingsbury is unsure of his future and has a pending meeting with his athletic director. KENS-5 in San Antonio is reporting a decision has already been made.
After a 2018 season finale loss to Baylor, Kingsbury would have finished his career under .500 as a head coach if dismissed, but it likely wouldn’t be an impediment for him getting a prestigious gig next year on someone’s sideline. That’s because Kingsbury has forged a reputation as a sharp offensive mind, who simply may have been overmatched by the job of collegiate recruiting and being in charge of 100 players at a school with unrealistic expectations for their program.
As such, fans can expect Kingsbury to be named for many openings at the collegiate level, but also at the NFL one. Kingsbury is seen as an up and coming offensive guru who could bring his scheme and playbook to the next level.
If the Cowboys were smart, they’d seriously consider getting a leg up on the competition and bring Kingsbury on as soon as legally possible. He seems committed to the state, having attended Texas Tech and having spent all three of his coaching stints in the state at the University of Houston, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Dallas won’t and can’t bring him on as coordinator midseason, but they can hire him as an offensive consultant for the rest of 2018.
That would present an opportunity for Jason Garrett and the front office to get a feel for Kingsbury and how he would address the shortcomings of the Dallas offense.
If rumors the Cowboys strongly considered firing offensive coordinator Scott Linehan over the bye week are true, then there is a strong chance he will still be removed in the offseason. Getting a sample of what Kingsbury could be with the talent Dallas has would be a profoundly wise move by the team.
It isn’t without risk, of course. Dallas has won three in a row and has been on a strong but hardly perfect run on offense where they’ve averaged just under 27 points a game in the last three. However none of the teams they’ve defeated are currently in playoff position, so there could be some false positives being returned.
So if Dallas is committed to replacing Linehan, then adding Kingsbury now to try and further the offense in 2018 and get an evaluation period on a potential high-pedigree replacement.
We checked in with draft expert, news reporter at Fox 34and Texas Tech alum Jonah Tuls (@JonahTulsNFL) on what Kingsbury has to offer.
Cowboys Wire: What went wrong with Kingsbury in the big chair at Texas Tech? What were the major failings that led to his dismissal Saturday?
Jonah Tuls: I think the biggest thing here is a misjudgment of expectations. Many donors expected Kingsbury to bring Tech back to the success they had with Mike Leach. That was never going to be the case. As a result, I think donors pressured (athletic director) Kirby Hocutt to make a move. In fact, they would’ve (likely) made this move last year if Tech didn’t reach a bowl.
Cowboys Wire: So what does Kingsbury bring to the table? In general what are considered his redeeming qualities as an offensive mind?
Tuls: It’s because he has a proven track record of developing quarterbacks. Also, he is a really good playcaller. With the way the NFL is going, I think more and more teams will be receptive to someone like Kingsbury as an offensive coordinator. Not all great playcallers are great head coaches, and that was the case here. He will have no problem garnering interest around the NFL, and that’s where I think his next spot is.
Think about it. He started a freshman walk-on quarterback. Who was it? Baker Mayfield. Then people trashed Texas Tech for letting him transfer to OU. You know why he couldn’t earn the starting job his second season? Patrick Mahomes. Also in that quarterback room was Davis Webb. Kingsbury knows how to develop quarterbacks, and I think he will fit right in as an OC or passing game coordinator in the NFL.
CW: Can you tell us more about what his strengths are as a playcaller? What makes him and something that may give NFL defensive coordinators nightmares?
Tuls: It may sound simple, but Kingsbury is really good at calling plays to his players’ strengths. As some fans are aware, a lot of NFL playcallers are awful at this. The scheme was the same of course, but he called plays completely different when he had Mahomes and Mayfield than when he coached Shimonek and Bowman. He is truly a quarterback/offensive mastermind on the level of a Matt LaFleur or John DeFilippo, and I think he will be one of the biggest bargains for an NFL team this offseason.
He is also excellent at identifying and exposing weaknesses in defensive personnel. If you watch enough Texas Tech tape, you’d find out he loves sticking his biggest receivers in the slot (Wesley, Cantrell, Amaro) to gain a mismatch, whether it’s on a slot fade or a slant across the middle where the box out the smaller defender. He is also smart with how he utilizes motion. A lot of playcallers use motion just to use motion, if that makes sense. But going back to exposing personnel weaknesses, he uses motion to create mismatches.
CW: If he were to join Dallas as a replacement for Scott Linehan, what differences would Cowboys fans see? How would he impact Dak Prescott’s game?
Tuls: For starters, Dallas fans would see a lot more creativity and motion in the offense. Whether that means using Ezekiel Elliott more as a receiver or moving Amari Cooper back and forth from the outside to the slot, I think it will create a lot more headaches for defenses. Kingsbury would be an excellent hire for Prescott’s development.
If anyone can maximize Dak’s ability as a dual-threat weapon, it’s Kliff Kingsbury. Not only would he incorporate Dak more into the run game, but I think he would significantly upgrade this team’s play action offense. I don’t think the scheme will change much. I just think you’ll see Kingsbury take advantage of personnel mismatches by using motion and creative sets that you simply don’t see with Linehan.
CW: Finally- some detractors might have issues with how Kingsbury used his running backs at Tech. Would this be an issue with Dallas?
Tuls: I doubt it. Like I said earlier, I think Kliff is really good at knowing what his personnel’s strengths and weaknesses are. You saw it with Mahomes and Mayfield. I think he would use Dak in a similar way to those two as a dual-threat and a ton of play action. I still think Elliott will receive 20-plus touches a game, if not more because of how this offense is built. But it could be 15 carries and five catches instead of just 20-25 carries. Is that so much a bad thing? Especially with the lifespan of a running back, I think it would be a good balance.
After a 2018 season finale loss to Baylor, Kingsbury would have finished his career under .500 as a head coach if dismissed, but it likely wouldn’t be an impediment for him getting a prestigious gig next year on someone’s sideline. That’s because Kingsbury has forged a reputation as a sharp offensive mind, who simply may have been overmatched by the job of collegiate recruiting and being in charge of 100 players at a school with unrealistic expectations for their program.
As such, fans can expect Kingsbury to be named for many openings at the collegiate level, but also at the NFL one. Kingsbury is seen as an up and coming offensive guru who could bring his scheme and playbook to the next level.
If the Cowboys were smart, they’d seriously consider getting a leg up on the competition and bring Kingsbury on as soon as legally possible. He seems committed to the state, having attended Texas Tech and having spent all three of his coaching stints in the state at the University of Houston, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Dallas won’t and can’t bring him on as coordinator midseason, but they can hire him as an offensive consultant for the rest of 2018.
That would present an opportunity for Jason Garrett and the front office to get a feel for Kingsbury and how he would address the shortcomings of the Dallas offense.
If rumors the Cowboys strongly considered firing offensive coordinator Scott Linehan over the bye week are true, then there is a strong chance he will still be removed in the offseason. Getting a sample of what Kingsbury could be with the talent Dallas has would be a profoundly wise move by the team.
It isn’t without risk, of course. Dallas has won three in a row and has been on a strong but hardly perfect run on offense where they’ve averaged just under 27 points a game in the last three. However none of the teams they’ve defeated are currently in playoff position, so there could be some false positives being returned.
So if Dallas is committed to replacing Linehan, then adding Kingsbury now to try and further the offense in 2018 and get an evaluation period on a potential high-pedigree replacement.
We checked in with draft expert, news reporter at Fox 34and Texas Tech alum Jonah Tuls (@JonahTulsNFL) on what Kingsbury has to offer.
Cowboys Wire: What went wrong with Kingsbury in the big chair at Texas Tech? What were the major failings that led to his dismissal Saturday?
Jonah Tuls: I think the biggest thing here is a misjudgment of expectations. Many donors expected Kingsbury to bring Tech back to the success they had with Mike Leach. That was never going to be the case. As a result, I think donors pressured (athletic director) Kirby Hocutt to make a move. In fact, they would’ve (likely) made this move last year if Tech didn’t reach a bowl.
Cowboys Wire: So what does Kingsbury bring to the table? In general what are considered his redeeming qualities as an offensive mind?
Tuls: It’s because he has a proven track record of developing quarterbacks. Also, he is a really good playcaller. With the way the NFL is going, I think more and more teams will be receptive to someone like Kingsbury as an offensive coordinator. Not all great playcallers are great head coaches, and that was the case here. He will have no problem garnering interest around the NFL, and that’s where I think his next spot is.
Think about it. He started a freshman walk-on quarterback. Who was it? Baker Mayfield. Then people trashed Texas Tech for letting him transfer to OU. You know why he couldn’t earn the starting job his second season? Patrick Mahomes. Also in that quarterback room was Davis Webb. Kingsbury knows how to develop quarterbacks, and I think he will fit right in as an OC or passing game coordinator in the NFL.
CW: Can you tell us more about what his strengths are as a playcaller? What makes him and something that may give NFL defensive coordinators nightmares?
Tuls: It may sound simple, but Kingsbury is really good at calling plays to his players’ strengths. As some fans are aware, a lot of NFL playcallers are awful at this. The scheme was the same of course, but he called plays completely different when he had Mahomes and Mayfield than when he coached Shimonek and Bowman. He is truly a quarterback/offensive mastermind on the level of a Matt LaFleur or John DeFilippo, and I think he will be one of the biggest bargains for an NFL team this offseason.
He is also excellent at identifying and exposing weaknesses in defensive personnel. If you watch enough Texas Tech tape, you’d find out he loves sticking his biggest receivers in the slot (Wesley, Cantrell, Amaro) to gain a mismatch, whether it’s on a slot fade or a slant across the middle where the box out the smaller defender. He is also smart with how he utilizes motion. A lot of playcallers use motion just to use motion, if that makes sense. But going back to exposing personnel weaknesses, he uses motion to create mismatches.
CW: If he were to join Dallas as a replacement for Scott Linehan, what differences would Cowboys fans see? How would he impact Dak Prescott’s game?
Tuls: For starters, Dallas fans would see a lot more creativity and motion in the offense. Whether that means using Ezekiel Elliott more as a receiver or moving Amari Cooper back and forth from the outside to the slot, I think it will create a lot more headaches for defenses. Kingsbury would be an excellent hire for Prescott’s development.
If anyone can maximize Dak’s ability as a dual-threat weapon, it’s Kliff Kingsbury. Not only would he incorporate Dak more into the run game, but I think he would significantly upgrade this team’s play action offense. I don’t think the scheme will change much. I just think you’ll see Kingsbury take advantage of personnel mismatches by using motion and creative sets that you simply don’t see with Linehan.
CW: Finally- some detractors might have issues with how Kingsbury used his running backs at Tech. Would this be an issue with Dallas?
Tuls: I doubt it. Like I said earlier, I think Kliff is really good at knowing what his personnel’s strengths and weaknesses are. You saw it with Mahomes and Mayfield. I think he would use Dak in a similar way to those two as a dual-threat and a ton of play action. I still think Elliott will receive 20-plus touches a game, if not more because of how this offense is built. But it could be 15 carries and five catches instead of just 20-25 carries. Is that so much a bad thing? Especially with the lifespan of a running back, I think it would be a good balance.
