Hiring the right offensive coordinator under head coach Antonio Pierce is absolutely imperative to the success of the Las Vegas Raiders. Pierce is a defensive-minded first time head coach so the offensive coordinator must be someone who can really design an offense and call plays effectively.
A lot of people were interviewed for the position with other big names rumored to be interested as well, but it looks as if the Raiders have finally settled on their guy and it is one of the first names brought up as a possibility.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders are expected to hire former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as their new offensive coordinator:
Raiders are expected to hire former Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury as their offensive coordinator, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 2, 2024
Kingsbury’s time in charge of the Cardinals did not go great as he went just 28-37-1 in four years there with just one playoff appearance. Additionally the Cardinals never ranked in the top-10 in scoring offense during his tenure.
Prior to that, however, Kingsbury led one of the most prolific offenses in college football as the head coach at Texas Tech. It was Kingsbury who was in charge of the offense that allowed Patrick Mahomes to shine, ultimately becoming a top-10 draft pick. Kingsbury spent last year as senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach at USC where he was able to coach presumed top overall pick Caleb Williams.
Kingsbury has had success building great offenses at the collegiate level, and while he struggled as a first-time head coach, his experiences have surely helped him grow. With the Raiders, he has some elite talent to work with as long as the team finds the right player at quarterback.
The Raiders must get the right guy under center, whether through the draft, trade, or free agency. With Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Michael Mayer, and, potentially, Josh Jacobs, Kingsbury will have plenty of talent to work with.
ESPN’s Robert Griffin III believes Jayden Daniels would make Raiders a playoff team
If the Raiders want to find their quarterback through the draft the team may have to swing a trade to move up for one of the top players as they currently sit at 13th overall. But if they do move up, it could be for LSU’s Jayden Daniels.
The Heisman Trophy winner is a dual-threat, and ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III believes he would make the Raiders a playoff team immediately. Griffin believes that Daniels’ ability to beat a team in multiple ways and his familiarity with head coach Antonio Pierce would make him the ideal fit in Las Vegas.
