Stat of the Jay: As Bengals Add Al Golden, an Encouraging Look at the Instant Impacts Last Year’s 11 New DCs Made

Jay Morrison | Feb 20, 2025

Oct 20, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is shown before their game against the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – Nothing that happened around the NFL in 2024 or 2023 will have any bearing on how quickly Al Goden can be successful in replacing Lou Anarumo as the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator.

And certainly nothing that has happened within the Bengals organization the last four-plus decades will have any impact.

But you always can use history to lend a little perspective.

With that in mind, I wanted to look at how defenses with a new coordinator fared in each of the last two seasons, as well as where the Bengals have ranked in each season in which there was a new defensive coordinator dating back to 1980.

Let’s start with a look at the more recent history.

In 2024, there were 11 defensive coordinators in their first season with the team. All of them except for Vic Fangio were NFL coordinators for the first time.

Seven of the 11 led their teams to the playoffs, including Fangio for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

But five of those seven took over defenses that had made the playoffs in 2023. The Chargers’ Jesse Minter and Commanders’ Joe Whitt Jr. helped guide their teams into the postseason to end droughts of one and three years, respectively.

What really stands out about the group is the massive leaps so many of the teams made in key metrics with a first-year coordinator.

Here is where each team with a new defensive coordinator ranked in DVOA, points per drive allowed, yards allowed and points allowed (with 2023 ranks in parenthesis).

Eagles, Vic Fangio

DVOA: 1 (29)

PPD: 2 (30)

YPG: 1 (26)

PPG: 2 (30)

Commanders, Joe Whitt Jr.

DVOA: 23 (31)

PPD: 20 (32)

YPG: 13 (32)

PPG: 18 (32)

Chargers, Jesse Minter

DVOA: 9 (26)

PPD: 3 (23)

YPG: 11 (28)

PPG: 1 (24)

Dolphins, Anthony Weaver

DVOA: 19 (19)

PPD: 9 (17)

YPG: 4 (10)

PPG: 10 (22)

Packers, Jeff Hafley

DVOA: 7 (27)

PPD: 6 (22)

YPG: 5 (17)

PPG: 6 (10)

Bills, Bobby Babich

DVOA: 11 (12)

PPD: 15 (7)

YPG: 17 (9)

PPG: 11 (4)

Seahawks, Aden Durde

DVOA: 10 (28)

PPD: 5 (29)

YPG: 14 (30)

PPG: 11 (25)

Ravens, Zach Orr

DVOA: 6 (1)

PPD: 12 (1)

YPG: 10 (6)

PPG: 9 (1)

Titans, Dennard Wilson

DVOA: 17 (18)

PPD: 24 (21)

YPG: 2 (18)

PPG: 30 (16)

Giants, Shane Bowen

DVOA: 28 (21)

PPD: 17 (20)

YPG: 24 (27)

PPG: 21(26)

Rams, Chris Shula

DVOA: 26 (22)

PPD: 25 (19)

YPG: 26 (20)

PPG: 17 (19)

The picture is not quite as rosy when looking at the history of first-year coordinators in Cincinnati.

But only three of those coordinator changes have happened in the last decade.

Here is a look at each first-year defensive coordinator for the Bengals in the last 40 seasons, again with first-year rankings followed by previous-year rankings in parenthesis.

Lou Anarumo, 2019

DVOA: 29 (28)

PPD: 23 (30)

YPG: 29 (32)

PPG: 25 (30)

Teryl Austin, 2018

DVOA: 28 (19)

PPD: 30 (19)

YPG: 32 (18)

PPG: 30 (16)

Paul Guenther, 2014

DVOA: 14 (4)

PPD: 13 (19)

YPG: 22 (18)

PPG: 12 (16)

Mike Zimmer. 2008

DVOA: 16 (31)

PPD: 16 (24)

YPG: 12 (27)

PPG: 19 (24)

Chuck Breshnahan, 2005

DVOA: 20 (11)

PPD: 25 (15)

YPG: 28 (19)

PPG: 22 (21)

Leslie Frazier 2003

DVOA: 29 (30)

PPD: 30 (31)

YPG: 28 (17)

PPG: 28 (32)

Mark Duffner 2001

DVOA: 14 (27)

PPD: 15 (22)

YPG: 9 (22)

PPG: 14 (21)

Dick LeBeau, 1997

*30 teams

DVOA: 30 (18)

YPG: 28 (25)

PPG: 27 (23)

Larry Peccatiello,1994

*28 teams

DVOA: 25 (28)

YPG: 15 (16)

PPG: 26 (20)

Ron Lynn 1992

*28 teams

DVOA: 24 (28)

YPG: 26 (28)

PPG: 14 (28)

Dick LeBeau, 1984

*28 teams

DVOA: 18 (14)

YPG: 13 (1)

PPG: 16 (6)

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