During a news conference ahead of his team’s Week 18 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, Kingsbury was asked if he would like to be an NFL head coach again.
‘Yeah, I’m sure at some point,’ Kingsbury told reporters with a smile.
Kingsbury has improved his resume during his first season with the Commanders. The 45-year-old helped rookie Jayden Daniels seamlessly transition into the NFL – recording a 101.2 passer rating through Week 17 and earning a Pro Bowl nod. He also guided Washington to its first postseason appearance since 2020.
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Kingsbury is expected to be one of the top coaching candidates during the 2025 NFL offseason. He has often been linked to the Chicago Bears because of his ties to quarterback Caleb Williams. Both were at USC during the 2023 season, with Kingsbury serving as a senior offensive analyst on Lincoln Riley’s staff and Williams as the team’s starting quarterback.
That said, Kingsbury wouldn’t guarantee he would leave Washington, even if he draws interest for a head coaching job.
‘I won’t comment on that,’ Kingsbury said when asked about being a head coach in 2025. ‘We’ll see how everything plays out.’
Why won’t Kingsbury necessarily bolt to take on another head coaching job? He made it clear that he is ‘very happy’ in his role with the Commanders.
‘This has been an awesome place and has really helped me kind of rekindle my love for the sport,’ Kingsbury said.
With that in mind, Kingsbury doesn’t seem to be in a rush to become an NFL head coach again despite his aspirations. He seems happy to be patient and find the right fit while learning whatever he can from Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.
That includes the most valuable lesson Kingsbury learned during his first coaching stint in Washington.
‘I don’t think I set a foundation the way I would do it after watching DQ and how he set the foundation from Day 1,’ Kingsbury said when asked what he would do differently in a second run as a head coach. ‘It was, ‘These are the standards. This is where we won’t compromise. This is what we’re gonna be.’ I definitely could have done a better job of that.
‘Once you don’t lay it out like that, it’s hard to put it back in,’ he added. ‘It’s hard to reset it, and I think that’s where he’s done a great job. It’s like, ‘This is what we’re gonna be from Day 1.’ There’s no ifs, ands or buts. The guys bought in, and he’s led in an incredible way by doing that.’