Patriots played major role in Kliff Kingsbury’s coaching career

Kliff Kingsbury’s first coaching gig in the NFL turned out to be a head coaching position for the Arizona Cardinals.

He was a sixth round quarterback drafted by the New England Patriots in 2003, but his playing career turned out to be unsuccessful. Subsequently, he had college coaching stints with Houston, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. In 2013, he was named Texas Tech’s head coach, and he held that position until the end of last season.

How does an unsuccessful NFL quarterback work his way up to a college head coach, and eventually to an NFL head coach? The Patriots were a huge catalyst for it.

Kingsbury was put on the injured reserve list in 2003, and Bill Belichick named him as the ‘offense’s quality-control coach’, according to an article by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

“I was in there grinding with the coaches,” Kingsbury told Breer. “And that was basically the role that I served in, helping with breakdowns, printing things out, helping offensively any way they could use me under Charlie Weis and some really good coaches.”

Kingsbury walked away that season with coaching experience under Belichick, and also a Super Bowl ring. Although he didn’t get to play — it was an awarding experience for the rookie quarterback.

“I think at that point, I was like, ‘Hell no, I’m never doing this,’” Kingsbury said. “But looking back, that was huge as far as what I learned, a crash course from the best organization to ever do it, really. Coach Belichick and Charlie Weis, day-in, day-out, it was like getting a Ph.D. in football.”

Fastforward to the present — Kingsbury is gearing up for a season with No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray at quarterback. Kingsbury can accredit Belichick and the Patriots’ coaching staff for believing in him, and jump-starting his career as a coach.