The Bengals will officially be retaining their coaching staff for the 2023 season. This news comes after several members of last season’s staff received interest from other teams for higher positions.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo received significant interest from the Arizona Cardinals for their head coaching position. Earlier on, he was reportedly in the final three for that spot, along with Brian Flores and Mike Kafka. Flores took a position somewhere else, and left Anarumo as a finalist. However, after the Super Bowl, this story took another turn. Mike Kafka was seemingly eliminated from the running, and replaced by Eagles defensive coordinator, Jonathan Gannon. Gannon ended up getting the job, allowing the Bengals to retain Anarumo.
Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan also received head coaching interest. For him, it was from the Indianapolis Colts. He was ruled out of the running a bit earlier than Anarumo was in Arizona. In the end, the Colts went with Shane Steichen, the Eagles offensive coordinator.
Dan Pitcher, the Bengals QB coach, also received some outside interest, especially from the Buccaneers, who interviewed him for their offensive coordinator opening. Pitcher has received a lot of praise from around the league for his work with Joe Burrow, and his role in helping to design the offence. The Bengals reportedly gave him a lucrative extension to keep him in Cincinnati. Should Callahan move on next year, Pitcher is the obvious candidate to replace him. If Callahan stays beyond next season, Pitcher is likely to receive more interest from outside teams.
Retaining each of these coaches for at least another season is huge for a Bengals team with its sights set high. Anarumo’s scheming has played a huge part in the team’s success over the last two years, especially against the Chiefs. On the offensive side, though Zac Taylor calls the plays, Callahan and Pitcher are both bright minds and have had a big impact on the design and gameplanning on a weekly basis. Not only is it good to keep guys like that around, but the continuity means that there is no learning curve for the established members on both sides of the ball.
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