Bengals hiring Charles Burks as cornerbacks coach, per reports

Another coaching change for the defense.

This offseason will feature more coaching continuity for the Cincinnati Bengals than they’ve experienced in recent years. There have been just two reported changes, both of which have impacted the defense.

One change will come at cornerbacks coach. Charles Burks is taking over that position, per reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and TWSN owner and Bengals insider Malik Wright.

Burks comes from the Miami Dolphins, as he was their cornerbacks coach for the 2021 season. He initially joined the staff in 2019 as a coaching assistant when Brian Flores was hired that offseason.

While Burks has spent just three years coaching at the NFL level, he’s been coaching since 2011. He got his start at his alma mater East Central University as the team’s secondary coach. He then coached at West Texas A&M and Southeastern Oklahoma State University for most of the 2010s. He even completed a coaching internship with the Detroit Lions in 2012.

Burks doesn’t seem to have many connections to the Bengals. He’s got a Texas and Oklahoma background and is obviously familiar with the Dolphins, which head coach Zac Taylor can relate to. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo rose to his position after spending years coaching defensive backs, so his standards for the position should be reasonably high.

Burks is set to join linebackers coach James Bettcher as the new hires for the Bengals’ staff.