Rock Star Status

Since he assumed the position of coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders back in 2012, he quickly began gaining fame because of his model good looks, particularly with female fans. People have described him as being "ridiculously good looking." He is well known for being mistaken for actor Ryan Gosling, most recognized for his role in the iconic romance film "The Notebook." He is known to faithfully get haircuts every other week to keep up with press appearances and is fond of dressing well in suit jackets and skinny ties. He enjoys maintaining a polished, professional presentation, and brings this sense of style to the field as well, as he has recently taken creative control of his team’s uniforms. He regularly interacts with the public as he hosts a fundraiser event that teaches women about the basics of football with the proceeds going to a good cause. Through these events, he demonstrates his humanitarian side, and even though the capacity of the class is several hundred, tickets tend to sell out every time. This guy is so popular that women want to date him, and men want to be him.

Who is he? His name is Kliff Kingsbury, and he is Texas Tech’s Red Raiders football coach.

Kliff Kingsbury

Despite his exponentially growing fame and popularity on the sideline as a coach and beyond, Kingsbury maintains a sense of humility. How does he do this? He attributes his attitude towards life to his parents who set a good example for him to live up to. Despite his recent popularity gaining fans and notoriety, he is fond of stating that what he really cares about is the success of his team: that they come first.

Balance of Old School and New

If anyone knows how to balance the benefits of the new with the proven techniques of past generations, it’s Kingsbury. Because he is younger than the average college football coach, he is able to relate to student players better than any other college football coach in his field. He has that relatability factor, not only because of his age, but also because of his success as a former player of the team he now coaches. Back in the early 2000’s, Kingsbury demonstrated his talent and launched the team into the national spotlight by facilitating record breaking offensive numbers. He brings these strategies into game play in his new role as coach for the raiders.

Dedication

Kliff Kingsbury may look like a poster boy for a new generation of sports fans, but he demonstrates not only his talent, but strong dedication to what he really loves: his team. He understands the comradery of his players, but also knows what it means to be an example. He strives for the highest level of work ethic, coming in often before 5 in the morning every day just so he can train before his players arrive, in order to set a good example. He often stays late to work, avoiding the partying lifestyle of a celebrity he could so easily partake in. He enjoys going home after work, kicking back and having dinner while watching some Law and Order before he goes to bed early. What matters to him most isn’t his social life: it is getting the job done, and doing it well.

Making History

After his debut as coach of the raiders, season tickets were sold out for the first time in the history of Texas Tech. The numbers speak for themselves. Kliff Kingsbury is the type of coach everyone wants to look up to. With an iconic face, a killer sense of style followed by an equally keen instinct, intellect and hard core sense of dedication, it’s hard not to love the guy. He knows how to roll with the punches, deal with the press and rock the job every single day. As he makes his way to the top, we know who we’ll be keeping our eyes on as he dominates college football.