Former Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury Listed as Potential Replacement for Bill Belichick

ARIZONA -- It's been nearly a year since the Arizona Cardinals employed Kliff Kingsbury, and while he's currently employed by USC as their senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach, he's probably itching to get back into the NFL.

Kingsbury took an "interview" with the Houston Texans for their vacant offensive coordinator spot and was rumored to be in the running for the same position with the New England Patriots' spot before Bill O'Brien secured that spot.

However, oddsmakers believe Kingsbury could eventually make his way to New England to replace the legendary Bill Belichick, as rumors of his departure are growing by the week after the team's horrid start.

Odds for New England's Next Head Coach (If Not Bill Belichick)

Jerod Mayo 2/1

Mike Vrabel 3/1

Jim Harbaugh 6/1

Eric Bieniemy 9/1

Brian Johnson 10/1

Bill O'Brien 11/1

Kliff Kingsbury 16/1

Kingsbury actually played quarterback for Belichick in 2003 as a backup in New England to Tom Brady, though he was injured reserve with an arm injury. Nonetheless, he still received the coveted Super Bowl ring.

When asked if playing under Belichick shaped his coaching style, Kingsbury offered the following:

“Yeah. I think it was such an eyeopener what all he has put into this game and to do it at that level for that long. I’d been around some great coaches. My dad was a high school coach, but just to watch the processes they had in New England from kind of behind the veil was incredible. It was a crash course in football, and I learned more in the time there than the rest of my life put together probably. It’s a football 101 for anybody who’s been through that program— coaches, players, anybody. To see him still doing it and the level he’s doing it at is just incredible.”

As Arizona's head coach, Kingsbury had a 28-37-1 record in the regular season while he lost the team's sole appearance in the playoffs.