The Cincinnati Bengals threw their fans for a loop as they announced Mike McCarthy as their new assistant offensive line coach. It’s not THAT Mike McCarthy. It’s actually Michael McCarthy — no relation to the former Dallas Cowboys head coach. He was hired along with Scott Peters, who will take over as offensive line coach.
Bengals Fans Confused by Assistant OL Coach Hire
Bengals fans took to social media on Monday, thinking their team had announced that the former Cowboys head coach would become a lower-level assistant coach with Cincinnati.
It turns out they had the wrong McCarthy in mind.
We have named Scott Peters as offensive line coach and Michael McCarthy as assistant offensive line coach.
📰: https://t.co/d66U2i7phw pic.twitter.com/N1T9QXOCqR
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 20, 2025
One fan wrote that it was a tremendous demotion for a coach who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.
Wow hell of a demotion for Mike McCarthy
— TheCatBurglar.eth (@ThCatBurglar) January 20, 2025
Another fan thought it was McCarthy’s son. However, there is no relation between the two. They just share the same name. In fact, Mike McCarthy, the former head coach, has three daughters.
Why did I think Mike McCarthy is that his son????
— Dylan (@Dylantheomega1) January 20, 2025
One fan originally thought it was the head coach, before realizing it was just another coach with the same name.
Former Cowboys HC… good signing
— Mark David (@FReichComeback) January 20, 2025
Another fan got real excited thinking the Bengals hired the former Dallas head coach.
A different McCarthy? Lol
— 𝕏 (@moises_fabela) January 20, 2025
One more fan was still hoping it was THE Mike McCarthy. His experience would have assisted the Bengals tremendously.
Not the McCarthy I was hoping for
— George Nolan The Third as in Dale (@GN3Trucking) January 20, 2025
From the Bengals website, McCarthy, 39, spent last season on the New England Patriots’ staff, serving as an offensive coaching assistant under Peters.
McCarthy was on Jerod Mayo’s staff under Peters before Mayo was terminated after the last game of the season.
He coached collegiately for the previous six years, spending the 2018 season as an offensive assistant at Rutgers University before coaching the offensive line at Brown University from 2019-2023.
McCarthy first served on an NFL coaching staff in 2015 when he was an offensive quality control coach for the Cleveland Browns. He then spent the 2016-17 seasons with the Detroit Lions, holding the title of offensive quality control/assistant offensive line coach.
His previous college coaching experience includes time with North Carolina Central (2014), Tulane (2012-2013), and the College of New Jersey (2009).
The additions of Peters and McCarthy were much needed. The Bengals, who are a pass-first team, finished 30th in the league in rushing last season. They finished 29th in 2023.
Quarterback Joe Burrow also took too many hits over recent years. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor fired offensive line coach Frank Pollack after the season, hoping to build a unit that can pass protect better while also improving the running game.
