Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor is entering his fifth season in charge of The Queen City’s club. If the 39-year-old has his way, he’ll be doing the job for a long, long, long, long time.
The former Nebraska quarterback told HuskerOnline last week that he never sees himself leaving of his own accord.
“They’re gonna have to carry me out of here in a casket,” Taylor said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I love it. Just specifically, Cincinnati. It’s a really good fit for my family and myself, and the other coaches, and the owners, and (Bengals director of player personnel) Duke Tobin. I just can’t imagine myself anywhere else. They’ll have to kick me out of here.”
Even as hyperbolic as those quotes seem now, they would have read even more outlandish a couple of years ago when Taylor was coming off back-to-back sub-five-win seasons. But after a swift turnaround that included two AFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl appearance, Taylor has the Bengals in a prime spot to be competitive for years to come.
While Marvin Lewis did a lot of heavy lifting to get the Bengals out of the perpetual division cellar, his clubs could never get over the postseason hump. Taylor has already found playoff success. NFL life is much easier with a star quarterback like Joe Burrow.
Football coaches aren’t usually long for their jobs. Between burnout and little patience for even shallow dips in success, the shelf life is short. But Taylor has his sights set on being one of the exceptions to the rule.