Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury evolves into boss that players, staff appreciate

Kliff Kingsbury is still young for an NFL head coach at age 43. But with time and experience comes a comfort and respect level that the Arizona Cardinals coach has found with his players.

It's one that, as Kingsbury enters his fourth season at the helm, allows him to express more of who he is as a person. Having many of the same assistant coaches and players around during his time as head coach has allowed Kingsbury to share more of his personality.

"Yeah, I definitely feel like there's a comfort level with players on the team. I think once you have the job security, you know, understand the dynamics of the organization more, you can try to be your authentic self," Kingsbury said at the outset of training camp.

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Coaching staff continuity has also contributed to Kingsbury feeling more at ease in his position, one he'll conceivably still have in the near future after agreeing to a contract extension through 2027 earlier this year.

Most of Arizona's coaches have been here since Kingsbury arrived, a few even before that.

"And then really a group of mature players that I can interact with on the same level and have really mature relationships with," Kingsbury said. "I mean, I think just trying to show more of myself to guys, that's pretty fun."

The players like the chill vibes from Kingsbury, who is as comfortable watching the draft from his chic modern home (as he famously did in 2020 in photos that went viral) as he is taking reporters' questions and sitting calmly for an HBO "Hard Knocks" promo.

Going viral can go to someone's head, Cardinals safety Budda Baker said. But Kingsbury hasn't changed with the fame of being an NFL coach and an Internet sensation.

"You know, first year I saw this young, cooler guy, you know, seemed like he was a cool dude. And then you get to meet him. And he's that same cool person," Baker said. "He's not talking to guys any wrong ways. He's not cussing guys out. He's being very respectful. You know, this is a profession ... so you know, he's very professional. Just doesn't really talk much. Just kind of talks what he wants. And guys want to play for guys like that. So he's definitely a real cool guy in and out."

And then there is the quarterback, Kyler Murray. Kingsbury is as important to Murray as he is to any player on the Cardinals, as the two go back to when Kingsbury was head coach at Texas Tech and recruiting Murray out of Allen, Texas.

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Murray has long respected Kingsbury for following through, being thoughtful and staying connected, even though Murray went with a rival school, originally Texas A&M.

"You know, when I was in high school, he was like the swaggy coach that wore the Ray- Bans on the sideline, called the great offensive plays, and, you know, had the hair slicked back and all that. So it was like he was the cool guy," Murray said.

"But to receive the love that he showed me and my family. And then when I went to OU (Oklahoma), and still obviously competing against (Texas Tech), you know, to reach out to my pops and like ... just be there. It's always been great. I've always appreciated that."

Offensive assistant coach Mike Bercovici, the former Arizona State quarterback, is being mentored by Kingsbury.

"He epitomizes 'swag' as far as what it means to be a head coach," Bercovici said.

It wasn't always like that during the first couple of years of Kingsbury's tenure. Coming off a 5-10-1 first season in 2019, the coach didn't want to keep things so loose and lighthearted from the start of his NFL head coaching career. That was a little bit by design, he said.

"Just trying to have some self-awareness of the situation where we were at," Kingsbury said. "To come out and open yourself up and be joking. It just didn't seem the time."

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But the Cardinals have improved every season under Kingsbury, who cracks one-liners with the best of anyone in his profession but is all business on the field and in designing plays. It's easy to label a younger coach a players' coach, but Kingsbury is more simply, a likable coach to his players.

"Yeah, he's awesome. I mean, I was obviously very fortunate to be part of his first draft class and over the past, you know, three-and-a-half years so far, you know, everybody has been really close with him," defensive lineman Zach Allen said. "And he's just like one of the guys, so we love to have him here."

One of the things Kingsbury has learned is the idea of being "on" all the time as a head coach.

"The biggest thing is there's no running and hiding, like when you're an (offensive coordinator) or you're a position coach, you can go shut your door, you know, and just disappear," Kingsbury said. "You've got to be on every day in this job, because you've got the whole organization looking at you from top to bottom. So even if you're not having a good day, you better be able to fake it and bring the best you can each and every day, because everybody's depending on you."

Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury respected by his players