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Two vacancies on the Cincinnati Bengals’ coaching staff have now been filled.
Per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, the Bengals have promoted Troy Walters to be their wide receivers coach. The news came shortly after the Bengals announced they’ve rehired Frank Pollack at offensive line coach.
Sources: The #Bengals are promoting Troy Walters to wide receivers coach. Walters served as the Bengals’ assistant wide receivers coach this past season. Former offensive coordinator at #Nebraska and #UCF under Scott Frost.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 9, 2021
Walters was hired as the assistant wide receivers coach for the Bengals in 2020. Right before Week 17, it was reported that wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell would not be retained, so Walters will take over for Bicknell in 2021.
Before coming to Cincinnati, Walters was Nebraska’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2018-2019. He served in the same role at UCF from 2016-17, so he was selected by head coach Scott Frost when Frost left UCF for Nebraska.
Nebraska is head coach Zac Taylor’s alma mater, and Walters also coached receivers at Texas A&M in 2011 when Taylor was on the staff. This promotion does indeed indicate that Taylor is still making decisions regarding the composition of the Bengals’ coaching staff.
Walters has been coaching receivers since 2009, but this will be his first season as the primary receivers coach for an NFL team. He will be tasked with developing Tee Higgins in Higgins’ second year as a full-time starter and perhaps another rookie receiver to replace A.J. Green in the starting lineup.
The Bengals still need a running backs coach, defensive line coach, defensive assistant, and assistant wide receivers coach if they decide to hire an assistant for Walters.