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Fredi Knighten

AFC North Coaching Updates: Sullivan, Ravens, Bengals

February 24th, 2024 at 4:38pm CST by Ely Allen

With the Patriots and Bill Belichick parting ways this offseason, the AFC North is now home to the NFL’s two longest-tenured head coaches, and though the Steelers haven’t had a change at head coach in 17 years, they were required to make some adjustments to the offensive coaching staff this offseason. We’ve reported on a number of staff changes on offense after the hiring of new coordinator Arthur Smith, but the team’s recent finalized staff announcement provided us with a few more updates.

We saw that Pittsburgh made the call to replace former quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan with Tom Arth two weeks ago, but we now see that Sullivan will be retained on staff in the role of senior offensive assistant. Additionally, Smith seems to have brought two coaches with him from Atlanta. Former Falcons specials teams assistant Matt Baker and Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow Mateo Kambui, who worked with Atlanta’s offensive line, have both been brought on in the role of offensive assistant.

On defense and special teams, only two changes were noted. First, we already saw the departure of assistant defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander in the announcement that he would become the safeties coach in Las Vegas. Second, special teams quality control coach Matt Tomsho does not appear on the team’s new coaching roster and doesn’t seem to have been retained. Neither position was filled with a new staffer.

Here are a couple other staff updates coming out of the AFC North:

  • With former associate head coach and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver departing for the defensive coordinator job in Miami, the Ravens needed to find someone new to coach their talented defensive line. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Baltimore has found their man in former Baylor defensive line coach Dennis Johnson. A former defensive tackle at LSU, Johnson has coached defensive lines at the college level for both his alma mater and the Bears in Waco. His best defensive lines were at LSU in 2018 and Baylor in 2021, coaching players like Siaki Ika and K’Lavon Chaisson.
  • The Bengals have brought in a collegiate staffer, as well, per Pete Thamel of ESPN, hiring former Oregon offensive analyst Jordan Salkin to their staff as an offensive assistant. Salkin’s experience at the college level was focused on the quarterbacks position, and he fills the role in Cincinnati left vacant with Fredi Knighten being promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach.

Bengals Hire Adam Zimmer As Offensive Assistant

July 29th, 2022 at 1:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adam Zimmer has worked on the defensive side of the ball throughout his career, but the Bengals are bringing back their former assistant in a different capacity.

The recent Vikings defensive coordinator will work for the defending AFC champions as a senior offensive analyst, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). This will mark a return for the second-generation NFL coach. Zimmer, 38, spent the 2013 season as the Bengals’ assistant defensive backs coach, working in Cincinnati during the final year of Mike Zimmer‘s DC stay.

One of a few sons of former head coaches still active in the game, Adam Zimmer has been an NFL staffer above the quality-control level since he was 22. The Saints used him as their assistant linebackers coach to start Sean Payton‘s tenure in 2006, and he held that role through New Orleans’ Super Bowl-winning 2009 slate. The younger Zimmer has since worked for the Chiefs, Bengals and Vikings.

Mike Zimmer’s Minnesota hire naturally meant his son followed, and the longtime Vikings HC promoted his son from linebackers coach to DC in 2020. Adam Zimmer, however, shared that role with Andre Patterson. Although Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks developed into Pro Bowlers on Zimmer’s watch, his shot at the DC job did not go especially well. Injuries plagued the 2020 Vikings defense, which ended a run of quality defensive units in Minnesota, but the team also ranked 30th in total defense last season.

The Bengals also added Fredi Knighten to their offensive staff. Knighten, 28, will work as an offensive assistant. He has spent his career in the college ranks to this point and will come to Cincinnati after a year at Utah State.