Full History Of Kliff Kingsbury In Timeline From 1925

1925: Sold-Out Season Tickets

The 2014 season was the first time since Texas Tech's inaugural 1925 season that the team sold out its season tickets.

August 9, 1979: Birth of Kliff Kingsbury

Kliff Timothy Kingsbury was born on August 9, 1979.

1998: Start of Texas Tech Career

Kliff Kingsbury began his collegiate football career at Texas Tech in 1998.

1999: Freshman Quarterback Award

In 1999, Kliff Kingsbury, then a freshman quarterback, received recognition for his skills, making Texas Tech the sole Big 12 school to have three different freshman quarterbacks win such an award.

1999: Redshirt Freshman Season

Kliff Kingsbury played in his first collegiate games as a redshirt freshman in 1999.

2000: Historic Passing and Academic Recognition

Kliff Kingsbury achieved rare passing milestones in college football history and received Academic All-Big 12 recognition in 2000.

2000: Starting Quarterback

Kliff Kingsbury became the starting quarterback for Texas Tech in 2000.

2001: All-District and All-Big 12 Selection

Kliff Kingsbury earned All-District and All-Big 12 honors for his performance in 2001.

2001: Graduation from Texas Tech

Kliff Kingsbury graduated from Texas Tech University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management.

2001: Increased Touchdown Passes

Kliff Kingsbury significantly increased his touchdown passes from 2001 to 2002.

2002: Record-Breaking Season at Texas Tech

Kliff Kingsbury finished his collegiate football career at Texas Tech in 2002, setting several school and conference records.

2002: Dominant Senior Season

Kliff Kingsbury had a standout season in 2002, leading Texas Tech to victories over rivals and a bowl game victory.

2002: Postseason Accolades and Records

Kliff Kingsbury received numerous awards and set multiple records during the 2002 season, including the Sammy Baugh Trophy and breaking his own school records.

2003: NCAA Records and Bowl Appearances

Kliff Kingsbury held multiple NCAA passing records in 2003 and led Texas Tech to three bowl games during his time as a starter.

2003: Drafted into the NFL

Kliff Kingsbury was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

2003: Drafted by the Patriots and Super Bowl Ring

Kliff Kingsbury was drafted by the Patriots and earned a Super Bowl ring despite spending the season on injured reserve.

September 6, 2004: Released by the Patriots

Kliff Kingsbury was released by the New England Patriots on September 6, 2004.

2004: New Orleans Saints Practice Squad

Kliff Kingsbury spent the 2004 NFL season on the practice squad for the New Orleans Saints.

September 6, 2005: Signed to Broncos Practice Squad

The Denver Broncos signed Kliff Kingsbury to their practice squad on September 6, 2005.

September 21, 2005: Released from Broncos Practice Squad

Kliff Kingsbury was released from the Denver Broncos practice squad on September 21, 2005.

September 28, 2005: Signed by the New York Jets

Kliff Kingsbury was signed by the New York Jets on September 28, 2005.

November 20, 2005: NFL Debut

Kliff Kingsbury made his NFL debut with the New York Jets on November 20, 2005, against the Denver Broncos.

2005: Loss of His Mother

Kliff Kingsbury's mother, Sally Kingsbury, passed away in 2005 due to soft tissue sarcoma.

2006: Brief Stint with the Buffalo Bills

Kliff Kingsbury was signed by the Buffalo Bills in 2006 but released before the regular season began.

2006: Playing in NFL Europe

The New York Jets allocated Kliff Kingsbury to the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe in 2006.

March 30, 2007: Signed with Montreal Alouettes

Kliff Kingsbury signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL on March 30, 2007.

August 2008: Joining the University of Houston Staff

Kliff Kingsbury started as a quality control coach at the University of Houston in August 2008.

2008: Jace Amaro: Consensus All-American

In 2008, Jace Amaro became the first Red Raider to be named a Consensus All-American since Michael Crabtree.

2008: Transition to Coaching

Kliff Kingsbury began his coaching career in 2008 as a quality control coach at the University of Houston.

2009: Recognition for Offensive Performance

Kliff Kingsbury received acknowledgment for the Houston offense's success with Case Keenum as quarterback in 2009.

2011: Offensive Coordinator at Houston

Kliff Kingsbury served as the offensive coordinator for the Houston Cougars, leading the NCAA in several offensive categories.

2011: Playcalling for a Record-Setting Offense

Kliff Kingsbury took on the role of playcaller for Houston in 2011, leading an offense that topped the NCAA in numerous statistical categories.

December 12, 2012: Head Coach at Texas Tech

On December 12, 2012, Kliff Kingsbury was announced as the head coach for Texas Tech. At 33, he was one of the youngest head coaches in college football at the time.

2012: Offensive Coordinator at Texas A&M

In 2012, Kliff Kingsbury was appointed as the offensive coordinator for Texas A&M, where he coached Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. The Aggies excelled offensively under his guidance, leading the Southeastern Conference in multiple categories.

August 30, 2013: Head Coaching Debut

On August 30, 2013, Kingsbury celebrated a victorious head coaching debut with a 41-23 win over the SMU Mustangs.

September 12, 2013: Texas Tech's Top 25 Ranking

On September 12, 2013, under Kingsbury's leadership, the Red Raiders entered the Associated Press Top 25, marking the earliest a first-year coach at Texas Tech achieved this ranking.

October 12, 2013: Undefeated Start

Kingsbury made history on October 12, 2013 as the first coach in Texas Tech history to achieve a 6-0 start in their debut season after the Red Raiders defeated Iowa State.

October 19, 2013: 7-0 Start

Kingsbury's success continued as he led the Red Raiders to a 7-0 start after a victory against West Virginia on October 19, 2013, a feat accomplished only four times prior in the program's history.

2013: Holiday Bowl Victory

In 2013, Kingsbury and the Red Raiders secured a 37-23 win against the #14 ranked Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl.

2013: Head Coach at Texas Tech

Kliff Kingsbury's head coaching career began at Texas Tech in 2013.

August 29, 2014: Contract Extension and Raise

On August 29, 2014, Kingsbury's dedication and potential were acknowledged with a $1 million raise, increasing his salary to $3.5 million, and a contract extension through 2020.

2015: Texas Bowl Loss

The Red Raiders ended the 2015 season with a 7-6 record, culminating in a loss to LSU in the Texas Bowl.

2016: Disappointing Season

The Red Raiders finished 5-7 in 2016, a disappointing result despite notable conference wins against Kansas, TCU, and Baylor.

2017: Baker Mayfield Wins Heisman Trophy

Baker Mayfield, who transferred from Texas Tech following the 2013 season, won the Heisman Trophy in 2017.

2017: Signs of Improvement

The Red Raiders finished the 2017 season with a 6-7 record, demonstrating some progress with a much-improved offense and defense.

December 2018: Brief Stint at USC

Kingsbury briefly joined USC as their offensive coordinator in December 2018 but left a month later to explore NFL opportunities.

2018: Baker Mayfield's NFL Draft Selection

Baker Mayfield, who played under Kingsbury at Texas Tech, was selected first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

2018: Induction into Texas High School Football Hall of Fame

In 2018, Kliff Kingsbury was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.

2018: End of Tenure at Texas Tech

Kliff Kingsbury's time as head coach at Texas Tech ended in 2018.

2018: Promising Start, Disappointing Finish

The 2018 season began strongly for the Red Raiders, reaching a 5-2 record before dropping the remaining five games.

January 8, 2019: Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinals

Kliff Kingsbury was hired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals on January 8, 2019.

2019: Departure from Texas Tech

In 2019, following several consecutive losing seasons, Kingsbury's tenure as head coach for Texas Tech came to an end.

2019: Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinals

Kliff Kingsbury was named the head coach of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals in 2019.

2020: Salary Increase

As part of his contract extension, Kingsbury's salary was set to incrementally rise to $5.5 million by 2020.

2020: Cardinals' Improvement

The Cardinals, under Kingsbury's leadership, improved their record in 2020, finishing 8-8.

October 2021: COVID-19 Absence

In October 2021, Kingsbury and other Cardinals coaches tested positive for COVID-19, preventing them from coaching a game against the Cleveland Browns.

2022: Contract Extension and Departure

Despite signing a six-year contract extension earlier in the year, Kingsbury was released from his position as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 following a disappointing 4-13 season record.