Perhaps you’ve heard, Kliff Kingsbury is young. And he works hard, drawing clever offensive schemes.
But the new Cardinals coach also knows there are things he doesn’t know, and has been willing to seek out the help he’s going to need in his first year as an NFL head coach.
In a lengthy profile by Darren Urban of the team’s official website, there are good stories about Kingsbury’s work ethic and background in the college game, and his rapid rise to an unexpected NFL job.
That has also created some resentment and skepticism in the business, about a guy who was fired after going 35-40 at Texas Tech. Kingsbury probably hasn’t seen those stories.
“I don’t read things, I have people sort out my mail and e-mails,” Kingsbury said. “I’m a positive-vibe person. I just don’t let the negativity get near me.”
Until the Cardinals reverse their on-field fortunes, there will likely be more of that, but Kingsbury does seem to realize the challenges.
Cardinals scout Adrian Wilson was part of the coaching search process, giving owner Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim a different perspective on the candidates. One of the things he said stood out about Kingsbury was “the confidence in terms of him having self-awareness that he will need some type of help.”
Bringing in former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph as his defensive coordinator is a step in that direction. If nothing else, Joseph can help with the unforeseen pitfalls a rookie coach can encounter.