Report: USC blocking Kliff Kingsbury from interviewing for NFL head coach jobs

NFL teams are interested in speaking to Kliff Kingsbury about head coaching vacancies, but thanks to NFL enforcement of an old rule, they’re not getting that opportunity right now.

The USC Trojans have denied requests from the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets asking to interview Kingsbury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Those moves come a month after the NFL told teams that they would be expected to request and receive permission from college athletic directors to speak to staff members or they’d face punishments for “conduct detrimental,” just as one would for speaking to coaches employed by NFL teams without permission of those organizations.

Subsequently, USC athletic director Lynn Swann has taken full advantage by refusing to grant interview requests. That comes about a month after Kingsbury joined USC as offensive coordinator following his dismissal as Texas Tech’s head coach.

Neither team sounded like it was prepared to make Kingsbury the frontrunner for their opening when news of the interviews broke. In the end, this rule, and USC’s exploitation of it, may end up hurting the offensive coordinator more than either team interested in speaking with him.