The Cincinnati Bengals continue to build out their new defensive coaching staff. After hiring new defensive coordinator Al Golden last week, the Bengals have officially added two new defensive position coaches to work under Golden.
Cincinnati announced the hiring of Jerry Montgomery as defensive line coach/run game coordinator and Mike Hodges as linebackers coach. Hodges will replace James Bettcher, while Montgomery will take the place of Marion Hobby. The Bengals parted ways with both Bettcher and Hobby following the conclusion of the '24 campaign.
Bengals add new run game coordinator and linebackers coach
Montgomery spent the 2024 season as the defensive line coach of the New England Patriots. Prior to that, he spent nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers in various roles, including defensive front assistant, defensive line coach, and defensive line coach/running game coordinator.
Meanwhile, Hodges spent the previous eight seasons in New Orleans with the Saints, serving as a defensive assistant, assistant linebackers coach and ultimately as the team's linebackers coach, the role he will have in Cincinnati.
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Hopefully these hires will help to get Cincinnati's defense back on track after a couple of extremely underwhelming campaigns. Golden made it clear that he plans to hit the ground running in Cincinnati, so it's good that the team is wasting no time in getting the coaches around him in place.
"If you want to play fast during the season, you've got to push yourself through the offseason. The OTAs, the minicamps are going to be critical," Golden said upon his hire. "I'm a big believer in not walking in on Tuesday and creating something. But rather drawing from the reservoir."
Assembling a staff is only part of the battle for the Bengals, though. They'll also need to upgrade the roster on the defensive side of the ball, both through the draft and free agency. Running it back with new coaches but the same players simply won't be enough.