Cardinals hire Kingsbury on reported 4-year deal

Kliff Kingsbury is heading to the NFL after all.

The Arizona Cardinals officially hired Kingsbury as their new head coach Tuesday. Kingsbury signed a four-year deal with a team option for a fifth season, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 39-year-old joined USC as offensive coordinator 34 days ago after Texas Tech fired him following six seasons as head coach. The Trojans originally denied NFL teams' requests to interview him.

The New York Jets were also interested in Kingsbury for their head coaching vacancy but knew he favored the Cardinals' job, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

The offensive-minded Kingsbury has a number of intriguing pieces to work with in Arizona, including 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen. Rosen struggled as a rookie but has the potential to emerge as a future franchise quarterback. The team also features star running back David Johnson and dynamic receiver Christian Kirk.

Kingsbury compiled a 35-40 record with the Red Raiders and never finished above .500 in Big 12 play.

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