Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, the Minnesota Vikings' head coach from 2014 to 2021, accepted a position as analyst on Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders' staff, according to a report Tuesday from HBCU Gameday's Steven J. Gaither.
Zimmer visited the Bengals' training camp practice last week. Zimmer's son, Adam, an assistant coach and coordinator for the Vikings for the past eight seasons, returned last month to a role with the Bengals, as an offensive consultant to head coach Zac Taylor.
More from Gaither:
"He's asked me about it a few times. The pay's not good," Zimmer said with a grin. "But I do love Deion and I'd do anything for him."
Zimmer acknowledged he didn't have much knowledge about HBCU schools before Deion Sanders, but he said he's been paying a lot more attention since NFL guys like Hue Jackson and Eddie George coming to them.
Last December, Jackson, who worked with Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati under then-head coach Marvin Lewis in 2012 and 2013, was named Grambling State's new head coach.
Adam Zimmer was an assistant defensive backs coach for the Bengals in 2013 when Mike was Cincinnati's defensive coordinator. When Mike became the Vikings' head coach after the 2013 season, Adam joined him to coach Minnesota's linebackers.
Adam wasn't retained as the Vikings' LBs coach and co-defensive coordinator after the team fired Mike in January. Adam said in February that his father, who was the Bengals' DC for six seasons, did have an interest in returning to coaching for "the right situation."
Sanders hit .260 with 94 stolen bases in parts of four seasons for the Reds in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2001.
LOVE SPORTS? [ Subscribe now for unlimited access to Cincinnati.com ]
Source link
