Kliff Kingsbury joining Rams coaching staff after two seasons with Commanders

Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is joining the Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff, ESPN reported on Friday. Kingsbury spent the last two seasons with Washington. He oversaw the development of quarterback Jayden Daniels, the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, as the Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship but parted ways with the franchise after a 5-12 record in an injury-plagued 2025 season.

Kingsbury and Rams coach Sean McVay had been speaking for the last two weeks about the partnership, according to ESPN. After Kingsbury didn’t land the offensive coordinator job with the New York Giants, the path was clear for him to head back to the West Coast. 

Kingsbury’s job title for 2026 is unclear at the moment, but the Rams have a vacancy at offensive coordinator after Mike LaFleur was hired by the Arizona Cardinals last week. The Rams lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship but received good news Thursday night when quarterback Matthew Stafford announced his return for his 18th NFL season during his MVP acceptance speech. 

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Before returning to the NFL as an offensive coordinator in 2024, Kingsbury served as a senior offensive analyst under Lincoln Riley at USC. Before that, Kingsbury was the coach of the Cardinals for four seasons, finishing with a 28-37-1 record during his lone stint as a head coach in the league. Kingsbury also had a six-year run coaching Texas Tech, his alma mater. He amassed a 35-40 record during that span and led the Red Raiders to three bowl games. 

Kingsbury, 46, interviewed for the vacant coaching jobs of the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans earlier this cycle. The Ravens hired former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, while Tennessee tabbed San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as the next coach.

With Kingsbury, the Rams are adding another respected offensive mind to their staff. Los Angeles passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase was a coveted name in the coaching carousel, but will stay with the team. McVay said this week that an “extensive search” for LaFleur’s replacement will take place with “in-house candidates” in contention for the offensive coordinator role.