Raiders Offensive Frontrunner Coordinator Vacancy For 2024 Postseason…..
The Las Vegas Raiders are looking for a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Mick Lombardi midway through the 2023 season. Quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree took over but will not return for the 2024 season. However, per NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Raiders have locked into a former head coach for their offensive coordinator vacancy. On Thursday, USC assistant coach Kliff Kingsbury emerged as the frontrunner for play-calling duties.
The Raiders are quickly moving forward with their coaching staff, inking former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis to the coaching staff on Thursday. The former bench boss has worked at Arizona State since 2019. He worked with now Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce during his time with ASU.
Kingsbury lasted as a coach in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022. He served as the team’s head coach, going 28-37-1. They made the playoff once during his tenure, losing in their only contest. His best season came in 2021, with the Red Birds going 11-6. Quarterback Kyler Murray, who Arizona paired with Kingsbury in 2019, threw for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns against ten picks. Murray earned two Pro Bowl nods and won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year under Kingsbury.
Kingsbury, a former NFL quarterback and college star at Texas Tech, began coaching in 2008 with the Houston Cougars. He spent four seasons with Houston as an offensive quality control coach, quarterback coach, and co-offensive coordinator. Quarterback Case Keenum broke NCAA records with Kingsbury on staff. Kingsbury also coached at Texas A&M and Texas Tech, working with Kansas City Chiefs megastar Patrick Mahomes and Heisman Trophy Award winner Johnny Manziel. The 44-year-old worked under Lincoln Riley at USC last season as a senior offensive analyst.
The Raiders played without an offensive identity last year, scoring only 19.5 points per game. They finished near the bottom of the country in nearly every offensive team metric, including being bottom five in rushing yards per attempt and rushing yards. They also struggled to pass, with starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo throwing seven touchdowns against nine picks. However, rookie fourth-round draft pick Aidan O’Connell showed promise, accumulating 2,218 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 11 games. He completed 62% of his passes. The Raiders own the 13th overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.