Robert Livingston has turned around the Buffaloes. Could he do the same for the Bengals?
The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t wait very long to move on from long-time defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He was relieved of duties, along with Frank Pollack, Marion Hobby, and James Bettcher, on “Black Monday” less than 24 hours after the Bengals were officially eliminated from the playoffs.
Despite having an MVP-caliber season from Joe Burrow and a triple-crown season from Ja’Marr Chase, the defense was too much of a liability.
Head coach Zac Taylor and the team’s front office will now begin to bring candidates in to help rebuild a championship-caliber defense to pair with Dan Pitcher’s high-scoring offense. There are several candidates the team could be interested in, but one familiar face that could, and should, be in the mix is former Bengals secondary coach Robert Livingston.
Livingston started his career in Cincinnati as a scout for the Bengals in 2012, but he was promoted to a defensive quality control coach in 2015. In 2016, he was promoted again to be the team’s defensive back and secondary coach, which is the position he kept until he was hired away by Deion Sanders.
There aren’t many defensive backs more famous than Sanders, and the Colorado Buffaloes head coach tabbed Livingston to be his defensive coordinator for the 2024 season. First, if one of the best cornerbacks in the history of football thinks you know your defense, you know your defense. Secondly, Livingston has excelled in the role this season.
In 2023, the Buffaloes allowed a staggering 34.8 points per game, but under Livingston in 2024, that number was cut to 23.1. The sample size isn’t very big, but the numbers speak for themselves. Couple that with the fact the Bengals’ secondary is full of young talent that needs to be developed and a reunion with Livingston makes sense.
Cam Taylor-Britt regressed in 2024 and he’ll be the most senior cornerback on the roster that is under contract for the 2025 season. DJ Ivey and Josh Newton have each shown some promise, and a defensive coordinator with a background as a cornerback’s coach could be exactly what’s needed to get the most out of what the Bengals have moving forward.
There is a question of whether or not Livingston will be available, but with Sanders’ son leaving for the NFL, it’s not unreasonable to think the coach and most of his staff could leave Colorado. It seems as if a perfect storm is brewing whose winds could potentially blow Livingston back home.
