Zac Taylor facts for kids
Taylor with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019
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| Cincinnati Bengals | |
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| Position: | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 10, 1983 Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Norman |
| College: | Wake Forest (2002–2003) Butler (KS) (2004) Nebraska (2005–2006) |
| Undrafted: | 2007 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 46–52–1 (.470) |
| Postseason: | 5–2 (.714) |
| Career: | 51–54–1 (.486) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Zachary William Taylor (born May 10, 1983) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL).
Taylor started his NFL coaching career helping with offense. He was the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams when they played in Super Bowl LIII. In 2019, Taylor became the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. His first two years were tough, with a 6–25–1 record.
But in 2021, Taylor led the Bengals to their first playoff win since 1990. This ended the longest playoff drought in major North American sports. They even made it to Super Bowl LVI. In 2022, the Bengals won 12 games and reached the AFC Championship Game. Taylor has won five playoff games with the Bengals. This matches all the playoff wins the team had before he became coach.
Contents
College Football Journey
Starting College Career
Zac Taylor was a great player at Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma. However, not many colleges wanted him to play for them. In 2002, Taylor joined Wake Forest. He spent his first year as a "redshirt," meaning he practiced but didn't play in games. The next year, he was a backup quarterback.
After Wake Forest, Taylor moved to Butler Community College in Kansas. There, he had a fantastic season in 2004. He led Butler to the NJCAA championship game. He also earned honors as a second-team NJCAA All-American player.
Playing for Nebraska
After his successful 2004 season, Taylor looked at several top college teams. He chose to play for Nebraska. The team had a new coach, Bill Callahan. They were changing their offense to a new style.
Taylor's first year at Nebraska in 2005 had a slow start. But in his fourth game, he had an amazing performance against Iowa State. He threw for a school record 431 yards. He also completed 36 passes, which was another school record at the time.
He finished the 2005 season strong. He broke the school record for passing yards in a season with 2,653 yards. He also led Nebraska to a comeback win in the Alamo Bowl. He threw three touchdown passes in that game, which was a Nebraska bowl record.
In 2006, Taylor showed even more improvement. He led the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a 9–3 record. They played in the 2006 Big 12 Championship Game. During the regular season, Taylor threw for 2,789 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
College Statistics
| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Yds | Pct | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons | ||||||||||||||
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | — |  Redshirted |
||||||||||
| 2003 | 3 | 0 | 0–0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 100.0 | 0 | 0 | 125.2 | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 0 |
| Butler Grizzlies | ||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 10 | 10 | 10–0 | 172 | 274 | 2,682 | 62.8 | 27 | 8 | 171.7 | 26 | −60 | −2.3 | 0 |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | 12 | 12 | 8–4 | 237 | 430 | 2,653 | 55.1 | 19 | 12 | 115.9 | 76 | −41 | −0.5 | 1 |
| 2006 | 14 | 14 | 9–5 | 233 | 391 | 3,197 | 59.6 | 26 | 8 | 146.1 | 60 | −32 | −0.5 | 1 |
| Totals | 29 | 26 | 17–9 | 470 | 821 | 5,850 | 57.2 | 45 | 20 | 130.3 | 139 | -64 | -0.5 | 2 |
Professional Playing Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+3⁄8 in (1.89 m) |
216 lb (98 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) |
5.06 s | 1.67 s | 2.84 s | 4.60 s | 7.39 s | 30.5 in (0.77 m) |
9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) |
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| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Zac Taylor was not chosen in the 2007 NFL draft. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was released before training camp. Taylor then went to Canada and joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL. He was on their practice team for the 2007 season.
Coaching Career
Starting at Texas A&M
After his time in Canada, Taylor became a graduate assistant coach at Texas A&M. He later coached the tight ends. He worked there for four years under head coach Mike Sherman, who was also his father-in-law.
Coaching for the Miami Dolphins
On January 30, 2012, Taylor was hired as an assistant quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. In November 2015, he was promoted to interim offensive coordinator. He held this role for five games.
University of Cincinnati
In January 2016, Taylor became the offensive coordinator for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats saw him as a "rising star" in coaching. This was because of his NFL experience and his work with Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Working with the Los Angeles Rams
In 2017, Taylor joined the Los Angeles Rams as an assistant wide receivers coach. The next year, in 2018, he became the quarterbacks coach. That season, he helped quarterback Jared Goff lead the Rams to the NFC Championship. They also played in Super Bowl LIII on February 3, 2019.
Leading the Cincinnati Bengals
2019 Season as Head Coach
On February 4, 2019, Zac Taylor was hired as the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. His first game was a close 21–20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals then lost their next 10 games, starting the season 0–11. This was the worst start in the team's history.
Taylor got his first win as Bengals coach by beating the New York Jets 22–6. This win ended a 13-game losing streak for the team. The Bengals finished the 2019 season with a 2–14 record. This matched their worst record from 2002.
2020 Season Challenges
Taylor started the 2020 season with Joe Burrow as the team's new starting quarterback. Burrow was the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. The Bengals won their first game of the season in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In Week 11, Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Bengals continued to struggle after that. However, they pulled off a big upset win in Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They also won their next game on the road against the Houston Texans. This was Taylor's first road win and the team's first winning streak under him. The Bengals finished the 2020 season with a 4–11–1 record.
2021 Season Success
Taylor's third season began with a healthy Joe Burrow back at quarterback. The Bengals won their first game against the Minnesota Vikings in overtime. In Week 16, the Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens 41–21. This gave them their first winning season since 2015.
The next week, Taylor led the Bengals to their first AFC North division title since 2015. They defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to secure the title. Taylor then led the Bengals to their first playoff win since the 1990 season. They beat the Las Vegas Raiders 26–19.
In the next round, the Bengals beat the top-seeded Tennessee Titans 19–16. This was the team's first road playoff win ever. They advanced to their first AFC Championship Game since 1988. In the AFC Championship, the Bengals defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27–24 in overtime. This sent them to their first Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXIII. In Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals lost 23–20 to the Los Angeles Rams. After the season, Taylor signed a contract extension through 2026.
2022 Season Highlights
Taylor's fourth season started with an 0–2 record. But the Bengals quickly improved and finished with a 12–4 record. The Bengals won the AFC North division again. This was the first time in team history they won back-to-back division titles.
The Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens 24–17 in the playoffs. They then won another road playoff game, beating the Buffalo Bills 27–10. This victory gave Taylor five postseason wins, matching all previous Bengals head coaches combined. Cincinnati lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game by a score of 23–20. This ended the Bengals' ten-game winning streak.
2023 Season
Taylor led the Bengals to a 9–8 record in the 2023 season. The team finished fourth in their division and did not make the playoffs.
2024 Season
In 2024, Taylor's Bengals also finished with a 9–8 record. They placed third in the AFC North and missed the postseason for the second year in a row.
Head Coaching Record
| Team | Regular season | Postseason | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | |
| CIN | 2019 | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 4th in AFC North | — | — | — | — |
| CIN | 2020 | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 4th in AFC North | — | — | — | — |
| CIN | 2021 | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 1st in AFC North | 3 | 1 | .750 | Lost to Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI |
| CIN | 2022 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC North | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Kansas City Chiefs in AFC Championship Game |
| CIN | 2023 | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4th in AFC North | — | — | — | — |
| CIN | 2024 | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3rd in AFC North | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 46 | 52 | 1 | .470 | 5 | 2 | .714 | |||
Coaching Mentors
Taylor has worked under four main head coaches:
- Mike Sherman, Texas A&M Aggies (2008–2011)
- Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins (2012–2015)
- Tommy Tuberville, Cincinnati (2016)
- Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams (2017–2018)
One of Taylor's assistants has also become an NFL head coach:
- Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans (2024–present)
Personal Life
In 2008, Zac Taylor married Sarah Sherman. Sarah is the daughter of former Green Bay Packers' head coach Mike Sherman. They have four children: Brooks, Luke, Emma Claire, and Milly.
Taylor has three siblings. His brother, Press Taylor, is also a football coach. Their father, Sherwood, played football for Oklahoma from 1977 to 1979.
See also
In Spanish: Zac Taylor para niños
