Zac Taylor Replacements: 12 Candidates Cincinnati Bengals Can Hire IF Taylor Gets Fired

Zac Taylor Replacements: 12 Candidates Cincinnati Bengals Can Hire IF Taylor Gets Fired

Coming up on today’s show, we are breaking down 12 Zack Taylor replacement candidates. If, and it’s a big if, he gets fired by the Cincinnati Bengals this season. I want to hear from you guys down inside the comments section. Before we get into all that today, though, will Zack Taylor be the Bengals head coach in 2026? Let me know what you guys think down in the comments section of today’s show. Get down there and let me know what you guys think. Type Y for yes or N for no. [Music] All right, let’s start off with three Super Bowlinning coaches here. All of them right now are not employed in the NFL. You start off with Mike McCarthy. Look, he just wasn’t very good with the uh Dallas Cowboys. I was not really a big fan of his offensive system. Yeah, he did win a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers, but I gotta be honest with you, I think a lot of that had to do more with Aaron Rodgers than it did with Mike McCarthy. John Gruden, he’s a really, really fun option. I saw a lot of you guys out there uh down inside the comments of some other videos as well throwing John Gruden out there as a possible name. He has said that he wants to come back, you know, whether that’s coaching in the NFL or coaching in college football. You know, there is the situation. you know, he’s kind of suing the NFL right now. So, I don’t really know if that’s going to go over really well or how that whole situation’s going to happen. Maybe if he gets back into coaching, there might be a, you know, more of a chance that it ends up being at the college ranks. Then you have Bill Bichc as well. He’s the head coach in North Carolina right now. Um, there’s a lot of weird things going on with him. There’s, you know, rumors that, you know, he the North Carolina is looking for a way out of that. You might even have to deal with uh you know the girlfriend situation there as well. You know back in the day when he was at the Patriots with Tom Brady that would have been you know the number one option obviously at this point I mean I’m not going to say no totally but you know there’s definitely some risks involved there with Bill Bich. Two very fun options in the college ranks here. Marcus Freeman with Notre Dame and Dan Lanning the head coach of Oregon. I’ll be honest, I I love both of these head coaches. I love both of their demeanors. I don’t necessarily know if either one of those guys really want to make the jump to the NFL. Neither one of these guys have been head coaches in the NFL so far in their career either. So, you know, at this point, I love them as coaches. I just don’t necessarily think that they want to be coaches in the NFL. Maybe in the future, but as of right now, I don’t think they’re making the jump. So, name a head coach candidate that you guys want to hire. Let me know what you guys think down at the pin comment of today’s video. All right, let’s get into some more defensive minds here. Let’s start off with Jesse Mentor. Currently, right now the defensive coordinator with the LA Chargers and he’s had a long career as a coach. Started off back in 2006 with Notre Dame. He was a defensive assistant there. Then he made the jump to Cincinnati. Um, so there is a little bit of a connection there. You know, he has been in Cincinnati before. Um, he was a grat assistant. That’s where, uh, in 2007 and 2008. Then he was a linebacker’s coach/defensive coordinator at Indiana State. He was also the DC at Georgia State. Um, and then ended up jumping to the NFL. He was a defensive assistant/defensive backs coach with the Ravens from 2017 to 2018. Then went back to college. He was the DC/Safeties coach at Vanderbilt in 2021 and then goes and joins up um you know with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. He was their defensive coordinator there. They had a really really good defense at Michigan in 2022 and 2023. And then now the Chargers defense also very looking very very intriguing as well. Um he’s a little bit of a younger guy so you know still hasn’t been a head coach anywhere yet. So that is still something that you have to think about as well. All right, the next candidate here, defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, Brian Flores. The Bengals already saw him this year, so um you definitely know what he’s capable of. That was, you know, obviously the game where you had what, five, six turnovers in that game. They he does a lot of really, really fun stuff when it comes to, you know, different blitz packages and, you know, run stunts from those defensive linemen. And you know, since 2004, man, he was with the Patriots for a really, really long time. He was a scouting assistant. He was a uh uh, you know, a scout for a time, special teams assistant, went on to become the uh uh, you know, a special teams coach, he was a defensive assistant, was a safeties coach for four years, linebackers coach for three years, then he gets hired as the Dolphins head coach from 2019 to 2021. They went 5- 11, 10 and six, and then 9 and seven. And look, there was some controversy when he, you know, ended up leaving the Dolphins. You know, the ownership allegedly offered to, you know, pay him to lose games and he turned that down supposedly. I don’t really know, uh, you know, what happened there, but it was a very sticky situation. You know, Tua uh, Tug Aloa called him a terrible person. I I don’t know necessarily I buy that, but you know, there was a lot of drama when he left uh the Miami Dolphins there, but his defenses have always been incredible. Then he ends up going to the Steelers. He was their linebacker’s coach in 2022, and then from 2023 to now he was the or he is now the Vikings defensive coordinator. And still those defenses have been really, really good under Brian Flores. How about this one? This is an interesting name that has really been popping up a lot here. The Packers defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, we’ll see him this weekend as well. Um, some of the notable coaching history for him, he’s got a very very long coaching history here, but he was he’s done a lot of things with defensive backs specifically. And I think for the Bengals, you know, you you talk about the corners, you talk about the safeties, that’s two position groups that have really struggled here in the past couple of years. And that could be something that um you know is intriguing. He was also a head coach for Boston College from 2020 to 2023 before ended up taking that Packers job. You know he also worked as uh you know a defensive backs coach for Pit Ruckers Albany from 20 or excuse me from 2002 to 2011 as well. So, uh, very interesting name there that I’ve seen thrown a lot in some of these, you know, upcoming coaching, you know, rumors in this next coaching, uh, cycle. But I, uh, I do find it very interesting that he’s always, you know, mainly worked a lot with those defensive backs, and that’s definitely a spot that the Bengals need to get better at. All right, we’ll come back to some more examples or candidates here in just a second, but first, want to give a shout out to the sponsor of today’s show. that is Omaha Stakes. Right now during their early Black Friday sale, you guys can get 50% off sitewide and an extra 20% off select favorites at omahastak.com. Plus, our listeners here at Bengals Breakdown. Get an additional $35 off just by using promo code Bengals at checkout. Terms do apply and you can see those uh that website for extra details. But from everyday dinners and effortless entertaining to unforgettable gifts, Omaha Steaks delivers the world’s best steak experience. Enjoy USDA certified tender steaks, juicy burgers, cozy and convenient comfort meals, and so much more. They’ve got a bunch of different types of bundles and packages that you guys can choose from right now. It’s not just steaks. You saw it right there. They’ve got burgers, they’ve got dogs, they’ve got um, you know, chicken. They’ve even got desserts and their own seasonings as well. Omaha Steaks offers unrivaled quality and variety in every bite is backed by their 100% guarantee. Omaha Steaks has been America’s original butcher since 1917. It is a family-owned company with over 100red years of experience in the meat industry. So save big right now with Omaha Stakes. Visit omahastakessakes.com for 50% off sitewide right now and an extra 20% off select favorites during their early Black Friday sale. And you guys, listeners of Bengals Breakdown, get an additional $35 off just by using promo code Bengals at checkout. Terms do apply and you can see that website for extra details. But right now at omahastakes.com, 50% off sitewide. Plus, you guys are listeners here at Bengals Breakdown. get an additional $35 off just by using promo code Bengals at checkout. That link is going to be down in the description of today’s show. It’s also going to be down at the pinned comment of today’s show as well. All right, back to the head coaching candidates here. How about our next one? Defensive coordinator for the 49ers, Robert Salah. He’s had a very interesting career as well. Some of the more recent history here for Robert Salah back from 2014 to 2016 was with the Jags as their linebackers coach. Then goes to the 49ers as their defensive coordinator from 2017 to uh 2020. And those 49ers defense was really really good. But then he got the opportunity to be the head coach of the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024. And those teams just weren’t very good at all. Their defenses were pretty good, but their offenses were not that good at all. now he’s getting kind of a uh rebound here as the 49ers defensive coordinator and they’re doing a good job again. Um so, you know, maybe he gets a another shot at that or as a head coach in the NFL. Maybe he’s, you know, learned from some of his mistakes, but you know, he’s an an incredible defensive coordinator. Those offenses though for the New York Jets just weren’t really good at all. I want to hear from you guys. I think this is a very fair and interesting question here. What side of the ball do you want the next head coaches or just any head coach in general? What What do you want their specialty to be? You want them to be an offensive mind or do you want them to be a defensive mind? Let me know what you guys think. Type O for offense or D for defense down in the comments section of today’s video. Let’s go to some offensive minds now. How about Cliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator for the Commanders. Started off his career as a coach with uh with Houston down in college. and she was their offensive coordinator there from 2010 to 2011. Then he went to Texas A&M for a year to be their offensive coordinator. Then he gets a head coach opportunity with Texas Tech. That’s actually when he had Patrick Mahomes. Their offenses were very electric from 2013 to 2018, but their defenses weren’t very good. You know, they weren’t really able to, you know, find themselves in the top tier of college football. Then he became the head coach of the Cardinals and they weren’t very good either. So, you know, he his offenses, you know, kind of the same thing as Robert Salah where his defenses look good. You know, the offenses for Cliff Kingsbury usually look good. Defenses don’t really look that good, though. So, I it’s an interesting thing. Um, you know, I don’t know. He he went on vacation. He did the like I Oscar, whatever it was. Whether or not he wants to even be a head coach in the NFL anymore, I don’t really know, but it’s definitely going to be another name out there that um, you know, I’m sure he’s going to get interest in this next coaching cycle. This is also another name that is very very intriguing. Josh Macau. Right now he’s the quarterback’s coach for the Minnesota Vikings. And the thing about Josh Macau is he’s a very very good, you know, offensive mind, but he has never been a coordinator in the NFL. You can see right here that he’s had a very, very limited coaching career. He played in the NFL forever. Um, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about in terms of, you know, the offensive side of the football. we don’t really know um you know what his defensive philosophy or anything like that is, but you know he’s definitely helped these Vikings quarterbacks out over the past couple of years. So um it’s he’s definitely going to be a guy that gets some interest as well, but it’s just kind of in that same do you want to hire a guy that’s never called plays before. It’s definitely happened in the NFL. There’s plenty of uh you know head coaches out there. Maybe plenty is probably the wrong word, but there’s definitely coaches out there, head coaches who um you know have not been coordinators in the NFL. It’s just up to you if you want to take that risk or not. This one is my personal favorite here. How about Joe Brady, offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, and he is my favorite option right now. Not just because I really do like his offenses and you know what he’s been doing with the Bills the past couple of years has been nothing short of just really really good. Um is the fact that there is a connection right now with Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow. He was LSU’s passing game wide or passing game coordinator wide receivers coach back in 2019. I even think he did a little bit of uh you know play calling for that LSU team there. They ended up winning the national championship. They have one of the best, if not the best, I would say the best offense in college football in 2019. I think that is a very, very good option. He also, um, you know, was an offensive assistant for the, uh, you know, Saints back in the day as well. Um, I think personally he is your best option. I know there’s a lot of Bengals fans out there that would be really, really excited about Joe Brady as well. Only thing there, he also doesn’t have any head coaching experience. So, um, you know, that’s going to be another thing that you have to ask yourself. Do you want a head coach that has been a head coach before, or do you want one of these upand cominging minds that are going to be getting their first shot? So, that’s the uh, you know, big caveat there. You want somebody that has had experience at that spot before, or you want to just give somebody their first opportunity as a head coach in the NFL. None of it really matters though, unless Zack Taylor ends up getting fired this year, which I don’t necessarily know if the Bengals are going to do that, but if they do, we have got you covered. I would assume if they fire Zack Taylor at any point during the season or after the season, that’s going to be, you know, probably immediate, you know, going live here on the channel, which we don’t do that many breaking lives, but if that happens, I’m sure we’ll do it. Do not miss out on any Bengals news or rumors. Make sure you guys hit that sub button for me right now. [Music]

Cincinnati Bengals rumors include Zac Taylor replacement candidates IF the Bengals choose to fire him during or after the 2025 season. Bengals fans are sick and tired of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor so Bengals Breakdown host Chris Daughtery breaks down 12 potential 2026 head coaching candidates for the Bengals including some college coaches like Marcus Freeman and Dan Lanning as well as Robert Saleh, Brian Flores, Jon Gruden, Jeff Hafley and Joe Brady.

Go to https://OmahaSteaks.com to get 50% off sitewide, plus an extra 20% off select favorites and more limited-time deals during their Early Black Friday Sale. And use Promo Code BENGALS at checkout for an extra $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply. See site for details. A big thanks to our advertiser, Omaha Steaks!

Today’s Bengals Breakdown audience questions:
– Will Zac Taylor be the Bengals head coach in 2026? Type ‘Y’ for Yes or ‘N’ for No
– Name a head coach you want to hire!
– What side of the ball do you prefer in a head coach? Type ‘O’ for Offense or ‘D’ for Defense

Zac Taylor Replacement Candidates:
Mike McCarthy (Unemployed )
Jon Gruden (Barstool Sports)
Bill Belichick (HC, North Carolina Tarheals)
Marcus Freeman (HC, Notre Dame)
Dan Lanning (HC, Oregon Ducks)
Jesse Minter (DC, Chargers)
Brian Flores (DC, Vikings)
Jeff Hafley (DC, Packers)
Robert Saleh (DC, 49ers)
Kliff Kingsbury (OC, Commanders)
Josh McCown (QB, Vikings)
Joe Brady (OC, Bills)

Cincinnati Bengals 2025 Season Results:
Week 1: Win at Browns (17-16)
Week 2: Win vs. Jaguars (31-27)
Week 3: Loss at Vikings (48-10)
Week 4: Loss at Broncos (28-3)
Week 5: Loss vs. Lions (37-24)

Zac Taylor’s record as Bengals head coach (by year):
2019: 2-14
2020: 4-11
2021: 10-7 (Lost to Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI)
2022: 12-4 (Lost to Kansas City Chiefs in AFC Championship Game)
2023: 9-8
2024: 9-8
2025: 2-3 to start the season

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Cincinnati Bengals news and rumors can be found on our website too! We’ve got updates from PFF, Fox Sports, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Athletic and all the top Bengals writers: https://www.chatsports.com/cincinnati-bengals/

Jesse Minter’s Career:
Notre Dame (2006)
Cincinnati (2007-08)
Indiana State LB/DC (2009-12)
Georgia State DC (2013-2016)
Ravens Def. Asst./DB (2017-20)
Vanderbilt DC/S (2021)
Michigan DC (2022-23)
Chargers DC (2024-Now)

Brian Flores’ Career:
Patriots (2004-18)
Dolphins HC (2019-21)
Steelers LB (2022)
Vikings DC (2023-Now)

Josh McCown’s Career
Carolina Panthers (2023): Quarterbacks
Minnesota Vikings (2024-Now): Quarterbacks

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Joe Brady’s Recent Coaching History:
Penn State GA (2015-16)
Saints Off. Asst. (2017-18)
LSU Pass Coord./WR (2019)
Panthers OC (2020-21)
Bills QB/OC (2022-25)

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Watch these Cincinnati Bengals YouTube videos for the latest news & rumors:
– Bengals Get A BUNCH of Good News On Joe Flacco Starting + Shemar Stewart & Lucas Patrick Injuries – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wEO8LSiAA
– 🚨 TRADE ALERT: Bengals Trade For QB Joe Flacco In Deal With Browns | Bengals News & Trade Details – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRNtZhuT6JU
– HUGE Bengals Rumors After Lions Loss: Fire Zac Taylor? Trade Trey Hendrickson? Bench Jake Browning? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeTdiCFDEfk

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