The Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff have very much been thrown into the spotlight heading into Super Bowl 56. Who are the coordinators that support head coach Zac Taylor, and who do they have as their offensive and defensive position coaches and assistants?
Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff
There is an intriguing mix of youth and experience in the Bengals coaching staff. Taylor, Brian Callahan, and Lou Anarumo are all doing their current roles for the first time in the NFL. Meanwhile, Darrin Simmons provides the experience as the special teams coordinator and assistant head coach.
Zac Taylor | Bengals head coach
Despite being just 38 years old, Taylor has been coaching since 2008. After failing to make a roster in the NFL or Canadian Football League in 2007, Taylor made the move to coaching as a graduate assistant with Texas A&M. He spent four years with the Aggies before transitioning to the NFL.
When Mike Sherman, his father-in-law, made the move to the Miami Dolphins as the offensive coordinator, Taylor went with him as an assistant quarterbacks coach. He became the quarterbacks coach in 2013 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2015. Taylor spent a season in college as Cincinnati’s OC before returning to the NFL for two seasons with the Rams. He was then hired as the Bengals head coach in 2019.
Bengals coordinators
Taylor has done a good job surrounding himself with experience. He brought in Callahan and Anarumo with him when he was hired in 2019 while also retaining long-time Bengals special teams coordinator Simmons. Let’s take a closer look at the three Bengals coordinators.
Brian Callahan | Offensive Coordinator
Callahan began his coaching career just over 10 years ago as an assistant with the Denver Broncos. He remained with the Broncos in multiple roles until 2015, before getting an opportunity to make the jump to be a quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions.
Callahan would go on to spend a year as the Raiders quarterbacks coach before being hired as the offensive coordinator of the Bengals. He is the son of former Raiders head coach Bill Callahan. In his first two years as the OC, the Bengals ranked 30th and 29th in points scored, respectively. However, they ranked seventh in the 2021 season as their offense has lit up the league at times this year.
Lou Anarumo | Defensive Coordinator
Anarumo is an experienced coach, working in the profession since 1989. However, his NFL experience is relatively light, having only made the jump in 2012. Anarumo worked with Taylor between 2012 and 2015 with the Dolphins. He has previously spent one year as an interim defensive coordinator with Miami, but this is his first time as a full-time defensive coordinator in the NFL.
Prior to transitioning to the NFL, Anarumo held defensive coordinator and assistant head coach roles in college. He was the DC for three years with the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy before being the assistant head coach for Harvard between 1995 and 2000.
Darrin Simmons | Special Teams Coordinator
Simmons has been with the Bengals since 2003. For that entirety, he’s been the special teams coordinator and was retained by Taylor when he arrived in 2019. Simmons’ value was emphasized when Taylor made him the assistant head coach alongside his special teams role in 2020.
Simmons began his coaching career in 1996 with Kansas. He made the move to the NFL in 1998 with the Baltimore Ravens before spending four years with the Carolina Panthers.
Bengals assistant coaches
The Bengals assistant coaches have a wide range of experience, from Justin Hill in his first year to Mark Duffner in his 25th. In total, they have 15 position and assistant coaches — seven on offense, seven on defense, and one on special teams.
Offense
- James Casey | Tight Ends
- Justin Hill | Running Backs
- Brad Kragthorpe | Assistant wide receivers
- Ben Martin | Assistant offensive line
- Dan Pitcher | Quarterbacks
- Frank Pollack | Offensive Line/Run game coordinator
- Troy Walters | Wide Receivers
Defense
- Louie Cioffi | Defensive quality control
- Mark Duffner | Senior defensive assistant
- Al Golden | Linebackers
- Marion Hobby | Defensive Line
- Steve Jackson | Secondary/Cornerbacks
- Jordan Kovacs | Defensive quality control
- Robert Livingston | Secondary/Safeties
Special Teams
- Colt Anderson | Assistant special teams