Bengals hire Marion Hobby as defensive line coach

The Cincinnati Bengals today announced they have hired Marion Hobby as their new defensive line coach.

Hobby, 54, has been coaching since 1995. His resume includes stops at several notable college programs, including a six-year stint as Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator, and six years of coaching NFL defensive lines. His most recent gig was being the Miami Dolphins d-line coach for the last two seasons. Hobby and Miami mutually parted ways after the regular season concluded.

Hobby’s Coaching Career

• 1995: Tennessee–Martin (strength and conditioning coach)
• 1996–1997: Louisiana–Lafayette (defensive tackles/strength and conditioning coach
• 1998: Tennessee (assistant strength and conditioning coach)
• 1999–2004: Ole Miss (defensive line coach)
• 2005: Clemson (defensive ends coach)
• 2006-2007: New Orleans Saints (defensive ends coach)
• 2008–2010: Duke (defensive coordinator/defensive line coach)
• 2011–2016: Clemson (co-defensive coordinator/defensive ends coach)
• 2017–2018: Jacksonville Jaguars (defensive line coach)
• 2019–2020: Miami Dolphins (defensive line coach)

The last two defenses Hobby helped coach were great at producing sacks. The 2017 Jaguars totaled 55 sacks on their way to an AFC title game, which was second in the NFL that season. In 2020, the Dolphins’ defensive line finished T-10 in sacks with 41; six of them came against the Bengals in Week 13.

Before Hobby made the jump back into the NFL in 2017, he coached Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader for his entire college career at Clemson from 2012-2015, so Hobby will definitely have familiarity with Cincinnati’s highest paid d-lineman.

Hobby’s predecessor, Nick Eason, was the only defensive position coach not retained by the Bengals this offseason, so Hobby represents the biggest change under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

It’s clear that the Bengals are prioritizing getting to the quarterback more often next year, and Hobby is the coach they’ve chosen to help accomplish that.