Bengals officially hire Taylor as coach

The Cincinnati Bengals officially announced the hiring of Zac Taylor as their new head coach on Monday. Taylor previously had been identified as the Bengals' choice but the organization couldn't move forward until after the Super Bowl, with Taylor being the quarterbacks coach of the Los Angeles Rams.

"I am happy and fortunate to join the Cincinnati Bengals as head coach," Taylor said in a statement. "This is a great organization with good people and a rich history, and I am excited to get started. I am looking to add to that history by setting high standards, and holding everyone here accountable to those standards. There is a lot of work to do, and this is day one. We're going to attack every day with enthusiasm to get this team ready to go." Taylor, 35, spent the past two seasons with the Rams, who lost 13-3 to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. He also had a four-year stint coaching quarterbacks for the Miami Dolphins from 2012-15.

"Zac is a bright coach with an offensive mind and background, which is important to have in today's NFL," Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement. "And he's young. He embraces new ideas and new ways to do things, which will be a good thing for us. I believe our team will be exciting and fun to watch with him at the helm." As a player, Taylor was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 for Nebraska when he passed for 3,197 yards and 26 touchdowns against eight interceptions. He did not play in the NFL.

Taylor served as offensive coordinator for the University of Cincinnati in 2016 before joining the Rams. Taylor replaces Marvin Lewis (2003-18). He will be formally introduced at a press conference on Tuesday.

--Field Level Media