After a season that was riddled with disappointment and underachievement in various areas, the Bengals have made some changes. Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo, OL coach Frank Pollack, DL coach Marion Hobby, and LB coach James Bettcher have all been fired by the team.
Anarumo joined the team in 2019, shortly after Zac Taylor was brought on. His first season was rough, but after the roster was revamped, he blossomed into one of the league’s best defensive coordinators. His scheme and gameplanning received a lot of credit for the team’s success, especially in the playoffs against teams like the Kansas City Chiefs.
Unfortunately, this past season, things fell off quite a bit. A lot of the blame falls on the shoulders of the front office, who did not make enough of an attempt to replace departed players, like DJ Reader, while also failing to shore up depth in other areas. Some blame also falls on veteran players who underperformed. For Anarumo, it seems his biggest mistake was relying on underperforming veterans, like Vonn Bell and Sam Hubbard, for far too long. By the time younger guys, like Jordan Battle, Myles Murphy, and Joseph Ossai got more playing time, the damage had been done.
The Bengals will now be looking for a replacement who can get the defence back to its former glory. Dennis Allen was just fired from his head coaching job by the New Orleans Saints. Zac Taylor had some interest in adding him to the staff before Anarumo ultimately ended up with the job. Perhaps they will again consider him for the job.
After Anarumo, Pollack was the next biggest name to be let go. He was in his second stint with the Bengals as offensive line coach and run game coordinator, having coached one season in 2018 under Marvin Lewis, before returning in 2021 under Zac Taylor. Pollack’s previous work in Dallas may have earned him a long leash, but in his five combined seasons with the Bengals, he wasn’t able to get much done. Many draft picks ended up flaming out (though Amarius Mims looks good so far), and even veterans like Alex Cappa have taken huge steps backwards. This move was a no-brainer.
Hobby had been the team’s defensive line coach since 2021, after having spent time in Jacksonville and Miami coaching the same position. The Bengals had good production out of the unit in the early days of his tenure, but like with Pollack, quite a few draft picks failed to amount to much under his watch.
Bettcher joined the team a bit later than the others, having come aboard in 2022 as LB coach. He has extensive NFL experience, dating back to 2012, and college experience that goes back to the early 2000’s. There were some positive years from his tenure, with Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Akeem Davis-Gaither, and others performing well on the field. However, this year, there were a lot of inconsistencies and tackling issues. The Bengals felt it was best to move forward in another direction.
Replacing Lou Anarumo will take priority, but in the coming weeks, we should see each of these open coaching positions being filled.
