PHOENIX - USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is about to become the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, according to multiple reports Tuesday.
FOX Sports' Peter Schrager reported Kingsbury is "finalizing a deal" to become the Cardinals' head coach. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said that deal "should be done shortly."
The 39-year-old Kingsbury was fired as head coach of Texas Tech in November after posting a 35-40 record in six seasons with the Red Raiders. He previously served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Houston and Texas A&M, where he worked under current Arizona Wildcats head coach Kevin Sumlin. He has never coached in the NFL.
Kingsbury was a quarterback at Texas Tech and spent time as a QB with the Jets, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints, as well as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and the Cologne Centurions of the now-defunct NFL Europe.
Kingsbury had been named USC's new offensive coordinator in early December, but per reports, USC athletic director Lynn Swann initially disallowed Kingsbury from interviewing with the Cardinals and New York Jets for their vacant head coaching positions.
At Texas Tech, Kingsbury built one of the most prolific offenses in college football. He coached quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw an NFL-best 50 passing touchdowns for the Kansas City Chiefs this season and is the favorite to win the 2018 NFL MVP award. The Red Raiders have been in the top 20 in total offense in each of the last four seasons, including No. 1 overall in 2016.
The Cardinals fired Steve Wilks on Dec. 31 after just one season as the team's head coach. The Cardinals posted an NFL-worst 3-13 record in 2018, matching their worst mark in their 31 seasons in Arizona.
The Cardinals have also reportedly interviewed former Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor and New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell for the head coaching position.
