Tag: Bengals coaches

Should Bengals consider surprisingly available name for DC job?

An old friend of the Bengals and fans is back on the open market.

The Cincinnati Bengals have been working through multiple different interviews to fill their vacant defensive coordinator position.

Zac Taylor and the Bengals have also been linked to one major name, while another report of a controversial name got shot down.

One name that hasn’t come up — at least not yet — is an old friend.

Mike Zimmer, the defensive coordinator in Cincinnati from 2008-2013 under head coach Marvin Lewis, was just let go alongside the entire coaching staff in Dallas.

While Zimmer is now 68 years old and apparently considering retirement in the wake of the news around the chaotic Cowboys, one has to wonder if Taylor and the Bengals might put out feelers — just in case.

Zimmer, after all, was beloved during his time in Cincinnati. His tenure as a head coach in Minnesota from 2014-2021 isn’t necessarily a reflection on his abilities as a coordinator, and his previous rapport with Duke Tobin and the front office might be something that can help the staff and scouting departments better align on visions for the roster.

If nothing else, the Bengals should probably be doing preliminary due diligence on this topic.

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Zac Taylor’s Bengals make more changes to coaching staff

The Bengals continue to make changes.

The Cincinnati Bengals, under head coach Zac Taylor, will make more changes than initially thought to the coaching staff this offseason.

Right after the season ended, the Bengals fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and a handful of other coaches.

Now, WLWT’s Charlie Clifford reported that senior defense assistant Mark Duffner and defensive quality control coach Louie Cioffi are also on the way out.

The news leaves just a handful of defensive coaches on staff right now, which could change further depending on what the team’s next coordinator wants to do.

While the Bengals have set up several interviews with top defensive coordinator candidates, the biggest name they’re in contact with could indeed want to bring on an entire new staff of his own.

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Big name enters Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator conversation

A new (big) name is floating around the Bengals’ biggest coaching vacancy.

The Cincinnati Bengals appear to have one of the most attractive coaching vacancies in the NFL right now, with the defensive coordinator position up for grabs.

That’s reflected in the list of top candidates for the job, as well as in the interviews the team has already set up.

And it’s especially evident with former head coach Matt Eberflus entering the conversation, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler: “Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is involved in the #Bengals defensive coordinator search, per sources.”

Eberflus flamed out badly as head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2022-2024, but two things apply: Most do in Chicago and that isn’t an indictment on his skills as a coordinator.

One of the top defensive minds in the NFL, Eberflus got his start at the pro level as a positional coach in 2009 and, from 2018-2021, turned an Indianapolis defense from a bottom unit to a top-10 performer with a strong culture of accountability.

The Bengals can’t waste time on developmental coaches lacking experience right now as they sit in win-now mode after a failed season despite historic offensive output.

Written another way, Eberflus might be the top guy for the job.

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