The Chicago Bears are set to interview USC senior offensive analyst Kliff Kingsbury for their vacant offensive coordinator job on Friday. Kingsbury has ample experience at both the collegiate and NFL levels. Kingsbury spent the 2012 season serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, followed by six seasons as the head coach at Texas Tech. Kingsbury then tried the NFL, with a four-season stint as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. After being fired at the end of the 2022 season, he joined Lincoln Riley's staff at USC in 2023.
Kingsbury has the experience. However, possibly the biggest appeal to the 44-year-old is the play of the quarterbacks he's coached. He's coached quarterbacks by the likes of Johnny Manziel, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams.
It's the ties between Kingsbury and Williams that intrigue Ryan Poles and the Bears. USC struggled last season. However, Williams didn't, recording 3,633 passing yards and 41 total touchdowns with Kingsbury on the coaching staff. Holding the first selection in this year's draft, the team is doing homework before deciding on a franchise-altering move. And it starts with interviewing someone who worked closely with Caleb Williams.
This doesn't seem like the classic "brain pick" interview either. The Bears are flying out to Los Angeles to interview Kingsbury in person. There's clear interest from the Bears. Not just for Kingsbury, but for Williams as well.
If this is a sign for what's to come. Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears seems more likely than ever.
If the Bears do decide to draft Williams, Kliff Kingsbury would be the perfect pairing at offensive coordinator. A slam dunk. The connections between coach and quarterback are already in place. With Kingsbury's air raid offense, and Williams coming from Lincoln Riley's air raid offense, it would be a pretty seamless transition to the NFL.