OFFICIAL: Former USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to become Arizona Cardinals head coach

The Kliff Kingsbury era at USC is officially over.

Just over a month after the former Texas Tech head coach agreed to become the USC Trojans’ offensive coordinator, the highly-sought after offensive play caller is set to become the next coach of the Arizona Cardinals, according to FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager.

Although the Cardinals haven’t officially announced the news, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, said the deal that would make Kingsbury the head man in Phoenix is “expected to be done shortly.”

This comes as no surprise to anyone following the Trojans. Before USC was able to land Kingsbury, it was clear that several NFL teams had a vested interest in hiring the former Red Raider quarterback.

Even though he went 35-40 during his six seasons at Texas Tech, more and more NFL teams are more willing to take a chance on inexperienced coaches if they have a strong background in offensive playcalling and scheming.

With the Cardinals using their first-round draft pick last season on former UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, there is no question they were looking to bring in a bright offensive mind like Kingsbury to develop the former St. John Bosco product.

Unfortunately for the Trojans, they lose out on a bright and talented quarterback guru who was expected to develop young gun JT Daniels and get USC back on the map offensively. The news undoubtedly puts more pressure on current coach Clay Helton and athletic director Lynn Swann, who reportedly tried to block NFL clubs from interviewing Kingsbury.

What’s next for USC? Stay tuned.