YouTube/Cincinnati Athletics
Zac Taylor, a 35-year-old assistant coach, is set to become an NFL head. According to reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, Taylor is set to become the next head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Taylor will be replacing longtime Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis at the helm.
Before accepting the Bengals job, Taylor will be finishing out the postseason with the Los Angeles Chargers where he is currently the team’s quarterbacks coach.
Taylor has been with the Rams since 2017 when he initially served as assistant wide receivers coach.
While this will be the first head coaching gig of the 35-year-old’s career. Taylor is no stranger to the NFL. Along with his time in Los Angeles, Taylor served on the Miami Dolphins’ coaching staff 2012-2015 as assistant quarterbacks coach, quarterbacks coach, and offensive coordinator.
So what can the Dolphins expect from their new young coach?
All of the information you need to learn about the new Bengals head coach can be seen below.
Who Is Zac Taylor?
Born May 10, 1983, in Norman, Oklahoma, Taylor had a record-setting career at Norman High School. After being overlooked by the hometown Oklahoma Sooners, he committed to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Taylor redshirted his first year and remained at Wake Forest for another season, but ultimately transferred to Butler Community College in Kansas. There, Taylor led Butler to the NJCAA championship game and threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns.
After his breakout campaign in community college, Taylor accepted an offer to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers where he earned the starting quarterback job.
In his final college season, Taylor led Nebraska to a 9-3 record, an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game, and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
After college, Taylor spent the 2007 NFL preseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being cut and had a brief stint with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers before turning to coaching where he began as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M.
It was then that Taylor landed with the Dolphins.
After leaving the Miami staff in 2012, he spent one year with the Cincinnati Bearcats as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before moving on with the Los Angeles Rams.
Now, he will get the opportunity to return to Cincinnati to turn around the city’s NFL franchise.