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The Bengals have lost their defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to the Minnesota Vikings. And a week before that, their offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden, departed for the top job in Washington.
Hours following both of their respective departures, the Bengals announced their replacements by promoting linebackers coach Paul Guenther to defensive coordinator and running backs coach Hue Jackson on offense.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau and ESPN, whenever teams have lost both coordinators, those teams didn't suffer a significant decline the following year. The '06 Chargers lost both coordinators and went 11-5, winning the AFC West title in '07. The '99 Jaguars lost both of their coordinators, improving to a 14-2 finish with a one seed in the 2000 playoffs. And the '94 49ers went 11-5 in '95 with a first-round bye after losing Mike Shanahan and Ray Rhodes.
Jackson becomes the first new coordinator since Gruden was hired in '11, replacing Bob Bratkowski, who had been with the team since '01. Zimmer replaced Chuck Bresnahan in '08.