Bengals hire Zimmer as coordinator

By Mark Curnutte
mcurnutte@enquirer.com

The Bengals today hired Mike Zimmer as their third defensive coordinator since Marvin Lewis was brought in as head coach in January 2003.

Zimmer replaces Chuck Bresnahan, who was fired Jan. 2 after three seasons as coordinator.

Zimmer has eight seasons of NFL experience as a defensive coordinator.

He coordinated the Atlanta Falcons defense in 2007 under former head coach Bobby Petrino, who had re-signed late in the season to become head coach at Arkansas.

He had left Dallas following the resignation of former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells after the 2006 season. Zimmer, Dallas’ defensive coordinator since 2000, was retained as coordinator by Parcells.

With the Bengals, Zimmer, 51, will be expected to elevate the performance of a defense that is widely regarded as the reason Cincinnati has reached the playoffs just once in five seasons under Lewis.

In the past five seasons, starting with 2007, the Bengals defense has ranked 27th, 30th, 28th, 19th and 28th in total yards allowed per game in the 32-team NFL.

Leslie Frazier was fired as defensive coordinator following the 2004 season, when the defense’s 19th rank would last as the best in five seasons under Lewis.

Lewis came to national prominence as coordinator of the dominant Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl-winning defense in 2000.

Zimmer was credited as coordinator in Dallas for moving its defense from a three-linebacker to four-linebacker scheme, a possibility this offseason with the Bengals. Still, Zimmer is said to prefer the 4-3 defensive setup.

Zimmer and Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski were both on the Weber State staff from 1981-85.

During his time in Dallas, Zimmer established himself as one of the NFL's top defensive minds with a fundamentally sound and aggressive scheme. After joining the staff in 1994 as secondary coach, he was promoted to coordinator in 2000

Through the tumultuous Falcons 2007 season – starting with the NFL suspension of quarterback Michael Vick and crashing with Petrino’s resignation – Zimmer’s defense played hard and somewhat productively. Still, at the end of the season, the Falcons’ defensive rankings were comparably as poor as Cincinnati’s. Atlanta was ranked both 29th in points (25.9) and yards (355.5) allowed per game; the Bengals were 24th in points allowed (24.1) and 27th in yards (348.8).

The Bengals defense appears to be primed for an offseason makeover. Four starters can be unrestricted free agents beginning Feb. 29 – linebackers Landon Johnson and Dhani Jones, end
Justin Smith and safety Madieu Williams. The Bengals are trying to re-sign all four players.

The Bengals also should regain the services of several linebackers injured in 2007, primarily Ahmad Brooks and Eric Henderson.

The personnel could be there to make the switch to a four-linebacker scheme.

Zimmer was chosen ahead of several other candidates, mainly current Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle and consultant Donnie Henderson.

The Bengals were denied permission to interview Carolina Panthers defensive backs coach Tim Lewis. Former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan was interviewed for head-coaching positions with the Ravens, Dolphins and Falcons. Though dismissed by the Ravens Dec. 31 as part of a gutting of their staff, including former head coach Brian Billick, Ryan remained under the team’s thumb because he has one year remaining on his contract. The Ravens were not going to let Ryan leave to join the staff of an AFC North division rival.