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 team 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. He led the Bengals to their first playoff win since 1990 in 2021. This ended the longest playoff drought in major North American sports. That year, the Bengals made it to Super Bowl LVI. In 2022, Taylor led the team to 12 wins and the AFC Championship Game. He has won five playoff games with the Bengals. This matches the total number of playoff wins the team had before he became coach.
Contents
- College Football Journey
- Professional Playing Career
- Coaching Career Highlights
- Zac Taylor's Coaching Record
- Coaching Connections
- About His Family
- See also
College Football Journey
Starting His College Career
Zac Taylor was a great player at Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma. But not many colleges offered him a spot. Even his hometown school, Oklahoma, did not recruit him.
In 2002, Taylor joined Wake Forest. He spent his first year as a "redshirt" player, meaning he practiced but did not play in games. The next year, he was a backup. He completed only one pass in those two years. After that, Taylor moved to Butler Community College in Kansas. There, he had a fantastic season. He led Butler to the NJCAA championship game. He also earned second-team NJCAA All-American honors.
Playing for Nebraska
After his 2004 season, Taylor looked at several top college teams. These included Memphis, Marshall, and Nebraska. The Nebraska team had a new coach, Bill Callahan. They were changing their offense to a new style. Taylor joined the team late in 2004. This was seen as a "lucky break" because Nebraska needed quarterbacks.
Taylor's 2005 season at Nebraska started a bit rough. But in his fourth game, he had an amazing day against Iowa State. He threw for a school record 431 yards. He also completed a school record 36 passes. He had some ups and downs that season. But he finished strong with a big win over Colorado. He also led a comeback victory against the Michigan Wolverines in the Alamo Bowl. In that game, he threw a Nebraska bowl record three touchdown passes. Taylor broke the school record for passing yards in a season with 2,653 yards.
In 2006, Taylor showed even more improvement. He led the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a 9–3 record. They played in the Big 12 Championship Game. During the regular season, Taylor passed for 2,789 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
Professional Playing Career
Zac Taylor was not chosen in the 2007 NFL draft. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he was cut from the team before training camp. Taylor then went to Canada. He joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL. He spent the 2007 season on the team's practice squad. He did not return for the 2008 season. The Blue Bombers lost the 95th Grey Cup that year.
Coaching Career Highlights
Starting at Texas A&M
After playing in Canada, Taylor became a coach at Texas A&M. He worked as a graduate assistant and then coached tight ends. He spent four years there. He worked under head coach Mike Sherman, who was also his father-in-law.
Coaching with the Miami Dolphins
On January 30, 2012, Taylor became an assistant quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. In November 2015, Taylor was promoted. He became the team's interim offensive coordinator. This meant he was in charge of the team's offense for the rest of the season. The Dolphins went 2–3 in the five games he was in charge.
Moving to the University of Cincinnati
In January 2016, Taylor was hired by the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. He became their offensive coordinator. People saw Taylor as a "rising star" in coaching. This was because of his NFL experience. He also helped develop Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Under Taylor's guidance, Tannehill became a very successful quarterback.
Working with the Los Angeles Rams
In 2017, Taylor joined the Los Angeles Rams. He was hired by head coach Sean McVay. Taylor started as an assistant wide receivers coach. In 2018, he was promoted to quarterbacks coach. That season, Taylor coached quarterback Jared Goff. Goff led the Rams to the NFC Championship. They also played in Super Bowl LIII on February 3, 2019.
Leading the Cincinnati Bengals
2019 Season: A New Start
On February 4, 2019, Zac Taylor became the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. His first game as head coach was a close loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals then lost their next 10 games. This was the worst start in the team's history.
After some changes at quarterback, Taylor got his first win. The Bengals beat the New York Jets 22–6. This ended a 13-game losing streak for the team. The Bengals finished the season with a 2–14 record. This matched their worst record ever from 2002.
2020 Season: Building with Joe Burrow
Taylor started the 2020 season with Joe Burrow as the team's new starting quarterback. Burrow was the first overall pick in the draft. The Bengals got their first win of the season in Week 4. They beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 33–25.
Later in the season, Burrow suffered a serious knee injury. The Bengals had to play with backup quarterbacks. But they still managed some big wins. They upset the Tennessee Titans. They also beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. The Bengals finished the season with a 4–11–1 record. The team's owner confirmed that Taylor would return for the 2021 season.
2021 Season: Super Bowl Bound
Taylor's third season started with a healthy Joe Burrow. 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 win their first AFC North division title since 2015. They beat the Kansas City Chiefs. Taylor then led the Bengals to their first playoff win since the 1990 season. They beat the Las Vegas Raiders. In the next round, the Bengals beat the top-seeded Tennessee Titans. This was their 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 in overtime. This sent them to their first Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXIII. In Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals lost a close game to the Los Angeles Rams, 23–20. After the season, Taylor signed a contract extension through 2026.
2022 Season: Another Strong Year
Taylor's fourth season started with two losses. 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 beat the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round. Then, they won another road playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. This victory gave Taylor five postseason wins. This matched the total number of playoff wins by all previous Bengals head coaches combined. Cincinnati lost a close game to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. This ended their ten-game winning streak.
Recent Seasons: 2023 and 2024
In the 2023 season, Taylor led the Bengals to a 9–8 record. The team finished fourth in their division and did not make the playoffs. In 2024, the Bengals had another 9–8 record. They finished third in the AFC North but missed the postseason for the second year in a row.
Zac Taylor's 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 Connections
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 a head coach in the NFL:
- Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans (2024–present)
About His Family
In 2008, Zac Taylor married Sarah Sherman. Her father, Mike Sherman, was a former head coach for the Green Bay Packers. Zac and Sarah have four children together.
Zac has three siblings. His brother, Press Taylor, is also an offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their father, Sherwood, played football for Oklahoma from 1977 to 1979.
See also
In Spanish: Zac Taylor para niños
