Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is having one heck of a time filling out his coaching staff. Weeks after being hired, Taylor can’t seem to find him a defensive coordinator.
Florida coordinator Todd Grantham turned down the job after recently interviewing for it. Now, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has followed suit.
The #Bengals wanted to interview Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley for their vacant DC job, sources tell @RapSheet. However, I’m told he’s not going to renege on his commitment to OSU after taking the job last month. So Cincy’s search continues.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 15, 2019
This is no small thing. An offensive-minded coach, the 35-year-old Taylor needs to get an experienced guy on the other side of the ball.
Hafley certainly fit that bill. He had spent the past three seasons as the secondary coach in San Francisco. Prior to that, Hafley served in the same role with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL and Pittsburgh and Rutgers ad the college level.