Before becoming the offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, Kliff Kingsbury appeared to join the coaching staff of the Las Vegas Raiders under new head coach Antonio Pierce. However, in the eleventh hour, Kingsbury pulled his name from consideration with the Raiders and immediately set his sights on the Commanders.
Appearing on The Pivot Podcast, Antonio Pierce said the Raiders had a sealed deal with Kingsbury until Magic Johnson swooped in and steered the former Arizona Cardinals head coach to Washington.
“I thought we had a guy, but not for long. Until you put pen to paper, man, that’s what I learned. No different than free agency … Listen, Magic Johnson’s pretty good, I guess he can still dish it out a little bit. If I’m losing to Magic I’m okay with that, but if it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be.”
The Commanders have constructed an all-star offensive coaching staff under new head coach Dan Quinn. Kingsbury heads a group that includes former L.A. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, and former Seattle Seahawks wideout Bobby Engram.
It’s unclear if Pierce just name-dropped Magic or if the superstar Commanders’ minority owner had a direct role in Kingsbury changing course.
Kliff Kingsbury declined to get into specifics surrounding the failed deal with the Raiders. He also chose not to speak on Magic’s involvement in his recruitment to Washington.
Since the hire, fans have speculated that the Commanders may target USC star quarterback Caleb Williams in the NFL Draft with the second overall pick. Kingsbury spent the 2023 season as a senior offensive analyst at USC.
Meanwhile, the Raiders moved on, hiring Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator. Getsy was the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator for the last two seasons before he got fired last month.
