The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of their search for an offensive coordinator, and it appears that former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is a potential candidate. According to renowned NFL insider Peter King, the Steelers will be talking to Kingsbury as part of their search, as reported on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday.

Kingsbury, who spent the 2023 season working as the senior offensive analyst and de-facto quarterbacks coach for the USC Trojans, has had a mixed coaching career thus far. Before his stint with USC, the 44-year-old Texas native spent four eventful years as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals had hired Kingsbury from the college ranks, making him a first-time NFL head coach.

During his time in Arizona, Kingsbury's offense was expected to bolster the performance of young star quarterback Kyler Murray. However, the Cardinals faced difficulties in implementing their college-style scheme in the NFL. The team also struggled to provide Murray with consistent weapons and adequate protection, hindering their success. The 2022 season was further marred by injuries to Murray and star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, culminating in a disappointing 4-12 record. As a result, both Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim were fired.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who are keen on evaluating Kingsbury's coaching approach, will have valuable insights from their veteran defensive player J.J. Watt, who played for the Cardinals during Kingsbury's tenure. Kingsbury's offensive background was established during his time at Houston and Texas A&M, where he worked with notable quarterbacks such as Case Keenum and Johnny Manziel. He later returned to his alma mater Texas Tech as a first-time head coach in 2012.

At Texas Tech, Kingsbury achieved early success by transforming walk-on freshman Baker Mayfield into a household name. He led the team to an impressive 8-5 season in his debut year, which culminated with a victory in the Holiday Bowl. However, despite having future NFL star Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback, Kingsbury struggled to replicate that initial success and was ultimately let go in 2018 after finishing with a 5-7 record for the second time in three years.

As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue their quest for a new offensive coordinator, their potential conversation with Kliff Kingsbury offers an opportunity to assess his coaching experience and offensive strategies.