Report: Kliff Kingsbury could replace Josh McDaniels as Patriots OC

The New England Patriots are preparing to lose Josh McDaniels to a potential head coaching gig this offseason, and they may already have a replacement in mind.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Sunday that Kliff Kingsbury is a name to keep an eye on. The former Texas Tech coach recently signed a deal with USC to be serve as offensive coordinator under Clay Helton, but Florio notes that they have blocked him from interviewing for other jobs and he may consider paying a small buyout to get out of the contract.

IT'S TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KLIFF TO NEW ENGLAND!!! pic.twitter.com/5BhZpxITsN

— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@ftbeard_17) January 6, 2019

Both the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals reportedly requested to interview Kingsbury for their head coaching vacancies, but USC athletic director Lynn Swann would not allow it. If Kingsbury decides to quit his USC job and isn’t a legitimate candidate to become an NFL head coach just yet, serving as the offensive coordinator in New England would be a good next step.

McDaniels, who backed out of an agreement to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts last offseason, is once again one of the hottest names on the coaching market. He may not be able to turn down the opportunity to work with another one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.