Hue Jackson was hired by the Cincinnati Bengals almost immediately after the Cleveland Browns fired him, and he has been serving as a special assistant to his former boss Marvin Lewis. With the Bengals struggling and Lewis once again on the hot seat, one theory is that Jackson could be in line to take over head coaching duties in 2019.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported on Sunday that there is a “growing sense around the league” that Jackson could be promoted to head coach this offseason if Lewis decides to retire or transition to another role within the organization. While it’s unclear if the Bengals see it that way, that’s how other teams that are in search of — or will soon be in search of — new head coaches are viewing it.
As La Canfora notes, Bengals owner Mike Brown almost always prefers to hire within, and some felt former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was being groomed to take over as head coach before Cincinnati’s defense fell apart. Jackson was an assistant coach with the Bengals from 2012-2015, so Brown is already familiar with him and thinks highly of him.
The Bengals got off to a great start this season, but they have lost four of their last five games and are in a free fall. Lewis is in his 16th season as the head coach in Cincinnati despite never having won a playoff game, and it probably would not be a popular move to replace him with the coach who was essentially laughed out of Cleveland.
