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The Bengals may be losing another coach, per a report from Fox Sports' Alex Marvez.
Source tells @NFLonFOX that @TBBuccaneers hiring @Bengals Jay Hayes as new defensive line coach replacing Joe Cullen
— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) January 15, 2016
Defensive line coach Jay Hayes is reportedly leaving the Bengals to take the same role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hayes has been with the Bengals for all 13 years during Marvin Lewis' tenure in Cincinnati and has 27 years of combined coaching experience in the NFL and college ranks. Hayes started his career as an assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame and has also coached for the University of California - Berkeley, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Minnesota Vikings but has spent the bulk of his career creating one of the league's best defensive lines in Cincinnati.
Of note, Hayes' brother Jonathan is the Bengals tight ends coach. Both of the brothers have been coaches with the Bengals for the entirety of Lewis' time in Cincinnati. If this report proves true, it will be a big loss for the consistency of the Bengals' coaching staff and prowess of the Bengals' defensive line.
This year, the Bengals featured the only defensive line with two players with more than 10 sacks during the season. Dunlap ranked 4th in sacks with 13.5 and Atkins ranked 8th in the league this season with 11. Both will be playing in this year's Pro Bowl. The Bengals had 42 sacks this season, 15th most in the league, the large majority of which came from the line. Hayes has coached one of the best defensive tackles in the league, Atkins and has helped to groom Dunlap into one of the NFL's best defensive ends.
The Bengals' coaching staff is taking a huge hit this offseason and things will certainly be different moving forward in Cincinnati. Ken Zampese was promoted to offensive coordinator due to Hue Jackson leaving to be the new head coach of the Browns, Jim Haslett has been hired as linebackers coach replacing Matt Burke who left the team following Vance Joseph, the former Bengals co-defensive backs coach who is now the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator. We'll keep you updated on this and all other Bengals coaching news.