On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals nailed down their head coach, officially hiring Zac Taylor. Now, the team needs a defensive coordinator, and Jack Del Rio could be the man for the job.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Bengals are likely to interview Del Rio for the position sometime this week.
Del Rio did not coach in the NFL in 2018, last appearing as head coach of the Oakland Raiders, a post he held from 2015 through 2017. While Del Rio did manage to lead the Raiders to their first playoff appearance since the 2002-03 campaign in 2016, he went just 25-23 overall in Oakland, losing his job after a disappointing 6-10 season in 2017.
Prior to his time with the Raiders, Del Rio served as defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2012 through 2014, helping lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2013-14 campaign.
The 55-year-old landed his first NFL coaching job, however, back in 1997, when he was hired as the New Orleans Saints' assistant strength coach. The following year, he was promoted to the Saints' linebackers coach, and in 1999, the Baltimore Ravens hired him away from New Orleans to be their own linebackers coach.
Del Rio stayed with the Ravens for three seasons, coaching the likes of Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware and helped lead an all-time great Baltimore defense to a Super Bowl victory during the 2000-01 campaign.
Following his successful tenure with the Ravens, Del Rio was named defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers in 2002, a job he held for just one year before finally earning a head-coaching position with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003. Del Rio kept his job in Jacksonville for nine seasons, going 68-71.
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