Zac Taylor, head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, is starting his seventh season with the team. He’s intent on reversing recent failures and restoring the franchise’s tradition winning attitude. In 2024, the Bengals finished 9-8. That was the first time that Burrow made it through a season healthy while under Taylor’s stewardship and, sadly, it resulted in the Bengals staying home during the playoffs. As Taylor gets ready for his first full season under the pressure cooker microscope, he considers the pressures, pitfalls and possibilities that lie ahead in his new task.
Taylor’s coaching odyssey started well before he landed the head job in Cincinnati. He had a great deal of success while at the University of Nebraska. In his two-year run, he took the Cornhuskers to the Big 12 title game. His phenomenal season led him to win the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year award. This accomplishment is a testament to his skill as a player and leader.
After graduating from the University of North Texas majoring in journalism, Taylor went directly into sports journalism. He reported on college athletics for a number of papers throughout Texas. His previous best-known role was at The Dallas Morning News, where he spent a decade before making the jump to ESPN in July 2019. Intensive PR training along with this background in coaching came a wealth of media experience, which has offered him a strong perspective on player development and team culture.
At a recent preseason media luncheon on July 21, Bengals team president Mike Brown spoke about Taylor’s six-year journey with the club. Brown made it clear that he and Taylor are both committed to doing what’s best for the team overall.
We want to win, Brown stated. Zac has done an amazing job to develop a talented team that can compete and we are excited for the future.
Taylor, perhaps fittingly, is starting fresh with the new season, making significant changes to his coaching staff. He made a big change on his staff, replacing longtime defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo with Al Golden. This organization-wide shake-up, although costly, signals the urgency of Taylor’s desire to turn the franchise around and make sure they can keep pace with a rapidly changing NFL.
As he looks ahead, Taylor is quick to point out the pressure that his position – and his responsibility – entails. “It’s a pressure unlike any other and you either got to be for it or against it,” he explained. If you can be for that and forge the thick skin and the ability to lead and the toughness that’s born of it, there’s some wonderful things you can do with your life, whether you’re in business or coaching or playing in the NFL.
Even after last season’s miscues, Taylor is still dead-set on re-establishing a winning mentality in the organization. “You put all the time and effort into everything that we have done, all offseason, all training camp, all week this week — you can’t lose,” he asserted. This decision highlights his determination to rebound and improve on previous years’ efforts.
The emotional cost of coming up just short for the playoffs this past season hasn’t escaped Taylor’s notice. “It’s devastating. And then you got to pick yourself up and go again,” he remarked about the disappointment of last season. He emphasizes resilience as a crucial quality for both himself and his team: “You just allow yourself to be miserable for one night. The next day, you gotta go.”
As a coach, Taylor is very cognizant of the deciding factors in his position. “You have to coach every single day like your career is on the line,” he stated, highlighting his commitment to excellence and accountability.
Entering this season, Taylor wants to build a culture of fight and grit in the Bengals’ locker room. For one thing, he wants to help foster the right leadership across the board in his players. This will be crucially important as they face the storms of tomorrow.
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