Kliff Kingsbury to Oklahoma? The Cardinals coach floats as a random potential Lincoln Riley replacement

Lincoln Riley is supposedly leaving Oklahoma for USC after five years in charge of the Sooners program and will seek to rebuild the once proud Trojan team.

Now, Oklahoma is one of the hottest coach positions on the college football market. Along with LSU, it represents a Power 5 coaching opportunity and a team that has regularly participated in College Football Qualifier discussions. Correct, all of Big names on the market would be interested in the Oklahoma job.

However, the Sooners have their eyes on an NFL coach who is currently in charge of one of the NFL’s best teams.

THAN: Ranking Oklahoma’s Best Alternatives to Lincoln Riley

Wait – wait a minute. What? That’s right. . . reported. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is being targeted by Oklahoma as a potential replacement for Riley.

Look, Schefter might be right that Sooners would like Kingsbury. He’s a young, attack-minded guy who fits Riley’s mold somewhat. But wanting Kingsbury and even having a chance at a distance with him are two different things.

The Cardinals are currently playing 9-2. They have the NFL’s best record and Kyler Murray, who was hand-picked by Kingsbury, is No. 1 overall in quarterback. Why does the 42-year-old want to leave Arizona at this point?

Well, he’s in the final year of his deal, isn’t he? Actually, not quite. He signed a four-year contract with the Cardinals in 2019. That means he has a contract until 2022. And as it turns out, Kingsbury’s deal features a five-year team option that Arizona would certainly take if he did. The team continues to find this kind of success.

Could Schefter be aware of a clause in Kingsbury’s contract that would allow him an early release? Possibly, but it seems Darren Urban, who has defended the Cardinals for 22 years, has the details right.

THAN: Kliff Kingsbury’s college career, record at Texas Tech

This is the time of year when trainer rumors fly fast and furious. Remember when the Browns were about to interview Condoleezza Rice to be their head coach? Or literally 24 hours ago when people and their mothers are speculating that Lincoln Riley is going to LSU?

Perhaps if the Cardinals weren’t good, Kingsbury would consider pulling in a Bobby Petrino. But as long as things are going well in the desert, Kingsbury won’t want to leave. And Schefter even seemed to acknowledge it in a later tweet.

For those who don’t know, those are pictures of the Kingsbury house. Yes I know. Quite nice.

HECK: A look back at the time when Kliff Kingsbury’s house went viral

So Cardinals fans, fret not. Oklahoma might want Kingsbury. It might even make him a big offer.

But he’s not going anywhere. He’s comfortable in Arizona. And besides, it anyway, he’s not such a good college coach.