Taylor’s Opening News Conference Transcript

Brown: “I would like to express my gratitude for coming. We are here to officially present Zac Taylor as the next head coach of the Bengals. It’s true that we’ve been late. That’s required under the league regulations. These are excellent rules, not negative ones. One coach, who must pledge allegiance to one of two opposing teams, is at odds with two squads. This is one approach to handle that issue, but it causes a delay, which causes us discomfort. However, I also want to applaud the Rams, and in particular, Sean (L.A. Rams head coach Sean McVay), for his excellent handling of this situation. It can move sideways with ease. The two groups feel uncomfortable with one another and gripe about one another.However, in this negotiation, none of it was there. I would like to express my gratitude to the Rams for their handling of it. The Zac family is present, including his wife Sarah and his two boys, Brooks and Luke. The two little girls, three-year-old Emma Claire and nine-month-old Milly, who can run a four-point jog extremely quickly, have left us and gone somewhere where they can be alone. Quincy, Zac’s sister, and his parents, Sherwood and Julie, are also present. They must be feeling proud right now.

“The family group, which consists of Paul Brown, Katie Blackburn, myself, Troy Blackburn (Katie’s husband, who is sadly not present today), and Duke (Tobin), searched for a new coach. This was spearheaded by Duke. I want to give him credit for all of his hard work and perseverance. I believe he set up nine different interviews. We were all in agreement that Zac was the most suitable in the end. Duke is available to answer any questions you may have about how it went and is happy to talk about it at the proper time.

“Zac was raised on the attacking side of the ball. Throughout his career, he provided coaching there. He thinks like a quarterback since he played quarterback in college. We’ll be following the National Football League’s current trend, which is that. He’s in his mid-30s, which makes him a young guy to be a head coach in the National Football League. However, when I go back in time, my father, Paul Brown, was in his 30s when he began coaching in the NFL or for the former Browns. I consider other people who were coaches when they were younger. Of course, even younger than Zac is the head coach of the Rams. If you verifyAccording to the history books, George Halas, the previous head coach of the Bears, must have been in his 20s when he performed this sort of labor. However, these young men listen well, are gregarious, modern, open-minded, and receptive to new ideas. That’s a positive thing, in my opinion.

Zac has as a goal to take the Bengals to the top in the National Football League. That’s what all of our fans want, and that’s what all of our players want. Having said enough, I’m going to turn this over to Zac to say what’s on his mind, then any one of the three of us — mainly Zac, of course — will try answer questions. So Zac, I’ll turn it over to you.”Taylor: “I’m grateful. This is really amazing, though. Being a head coach at the top level and for a team like this is something I’ve always wanted to do. I am appreciative of the chance. I can’t wait to work hard and contribute greatly to the Cincinnati Bengals organization. This was our home three years ago, my wife and I. We are overjoyed to be back in this city because we fell in love with it. I’m thrilled to be a part of another football-loving family because I was raised in one. In football, Paul Brown was a trailblazer, and I’m excited to collaborate closely with his family.

“Thank you to Troy Blackburn, Katie Blackburn, Paul Brown Jr., Mike Brown, andDuke Tobin, not present today. I had a connection with them right away at our initial interview, and I knew this would be the right place and franchise for me. That they shared my sentiments makes me grateful. We have been on the same page since the beginning and I am excited to collaborate with them going forward. We have the same vision

I also want to congratulate the Rams organization, which includes Sean McVay, the team’s most significant player, Les Snead, general manager, and executive vice president Kevin Demoff. Two years ago, Sean was very kind and offered me a chance. Everyone is aware of his exceptional abilities as a football coach, but ideally they are also aware of his unusual humanity and much greater character. I’m happy I was a part of the franchise for two years. My ties with the assistant coaches there were excellent. Their staff is excellent. I learned a lot from those guys, and I will always be grateful. I’m grateful that the players I had the opportunity to teach allowed us to provide them rigorous coaching, which is why theywere most recently competing in a championship. Especially that receiving room two years ago, coached by Eric Yarber (the wide receivers coach for the Rams), and that quarterback room, which was commanded by Jared Goff. They’re just fantastic players that had a significant influence on me and my future coaching style.

I also want to thank my sons, Luke and Brooks, and my wife, Sarah. She is a famous rock star. She has made about a thousand moves in the last five years, and she is the best at handling them. These two guys of mine are as enthusiastic and ready to go as anyone could be. Since that’s sort of his business, Brooks is most pumped to play Madden and get to know all these new Bengals guys. My kids Emma Claire and Milly are upstairs so they won’t be too noisy, as Mr. Brown mentioned. Julie and Sherwood Taylor, my parents, are in town from Norman, Oklahoma. They have always been the most important members of my supporting cast. I learned the game from my dad, and Julie, my mother, has been my biggestadmirer. She has consistently shown me a great deal of confidence—sometimes too much. I recall her telling me, “Zac, I know you’re going to win the Heisman Trophy,” before to my final year of college. I was not even close. Mom, I apologize for disappointing you (laughs). Hopefully, as an NFL head coach now, I can make up for it. Quincy, my sister, I appreciate all of your love and help. Right now, my sister Kathryn is at home. If she were here right now, trust me, she would be entertaining this room. Press, my brother, couldn’t come today since he’s with the Eagles, but I still love him. He’s been one of my biggest supporters, and Ican consult for guidance. As a fellow professional, I have nothing but admiration for him. Though he has things to do, I wish he could be here today. My father-in-law, Mike Sherman, is another person I would want to thank for helping me get into coaching. He helped me land my first job, mentored me as a coach, and has always been there to support me when I need advice—even this morning. I’m grateful to him since he has always been there for me and someone I can bounce ideas off of.

“Going ahead, both on and off the field, we will cultivate a culture of high standards and transparent communication. We’re discussing practice, walkthroughs, meetings, and everything. We’re going to hold these athletes to the greatest standards because they demand it. Every day they will look forward to entering this building. This group of employees will be dynamic. Everyone who has an impact on these players will exude great presence, and we will all have a common vision and be in agreement. Every day as they enter these doors, these gamers will be eager to discover what awaits them. Our crew will be interconnected. The people are the center of both this industry and this sport.and we want individuals that have a common goal and are all tugging on the same rope. We all want to play at the best level and take this thing to the top, as Mr. Brown stated. Both this franchise and this city are items we hope to improve greatly. We will do it by working as a cohesive team and by having everyone in this building share the same goal and be on the same page. Everyone, in my opinion, aspires to be a part of something greater than themselves. When we have, and will continue to have, the proper coaches and players, and when everyone is in agreement. What matters most is that they are assisting.When the individuals to their left and right achieve something more than only assisting themselves, that is when our organization will fully realize all of its goals. We’ll soon be heading in that direction.

“We are actively putting together the coaching staff at this time. Great teachers, clear communicators, unconventional thinkers, and those who don’t mind straying from the standard are what we’re searching for. We’re in the midst of assembling an outstanding coaching staff of which you can all be proud and of which the players will be eager to compete. I’m aware that this won’t be simple. Though there will be a lot of effort involved, I am eager to get going. I’m prepared to answer any queries you folks might have.”

During the interview process, a connection was mentioned. By all accounts, your interview with the organization was a huge success. What was it?that either they conveyed to you, or you could have transferred to them? What prompted that exchange of ideas?Taylor: “I’m from a really culturally rich area. I’ve learnt from several excellent instructors throughout my career, including Sean McVay, who I mentioned before. It’s simple to discuss the everyday routine you adhered to, especially over the last season. It’s simple to discuss, and I think your belief comes through. The best counsel I received was to simply be who you are. I am aware of several coaches that think they must act in a specific way and are yellers and screamers. Not all males are like that, but some are. Being authentic was, in my opinion, the finest advice I’ve ever received, therefore I followed it during the interview process.As I mentioned, I sensed a connection, so I’m happy to hear that they did too and that everything worked out. ever as we were eating breakfast, well before the interview ever began, I knew that this was a perfect fit for my family and myself. As I mentioned, I’m thrilled that they shared my sentiments.”

You indicated that you are looking for employees. Is it difficult since there aren’t as many opportunities available at this time, given that you’re essentially the last head coach in the league to land a position?