Dan Pitcher

Dan Pitcher, who is in his ninth season overall in the NFL and his fifth as an assistant coach with the Bengals, is considered by many to be one of the top young offensive minds on Cincinnati's staff. He has earned promotions in each of the last two seasons, and this year will serve as quarterbacks coach.

This season, Pitcher will be charged with one of the most important and highly anticipated projects in team history — the development of No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow. The Heisman-winner, national champion and owner of numerous NCAA records now returns to his native Ohio as the Bengals' starting QB, and brings with high expectations after a brilliant college career. Pitcher will be charged with fast-tracking Burrow's transition into Cincinnati's offense, which will also feature receiving targets A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross II, Tee Higgins, Drew Sample and C.J. Uzomah.

Last year, Pitcher held the title of assistant quarterbacks coach, and was also charged with leading the team's game clock management efforts. He spent the 2018 season as an offensive assistant with a focus on QBs, after spending '16-17 as an offensive assistant with a focus on WRs.In each of the last two seasons — 2018-19 — Pitcher has helped guide Bengals QBs through a transition into new offensive schemes. In addition to Andy Dalton, the team's regular starter at QB over that span, Pitcher helped Jeff Driskel and Ryan Finley as they both so their first NFL action and were thrust into the starting role.

Last season, Cincinnati's late-season QB play keyed an offensive turnaround and helped the team's top four healthy WRs — Tyler Boyd, Alex Erickson, John Ross III and Auden Tate — post career high in both receptions and receiving yards.

In 2018, Pitcher guided Dalton to 21 TDs and an 89.6 passer rating through 11 games, before a thumb injury ended his season. The team then transitioned to Driskel, who tossed six TDs to just two INTs and posted an 82.2 rating, despite playing much or all of his time without WRs A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd and TEs Tyler Eifert and Tyler Kroft.

In 2017, while working with the Bengals' receivers, Pitcher helped guide Green to 1078 receiving yards and a Pro Bowl nod. He also aided in the development of Cincinnati's young receiving corps, with Boyd, Erickson and Ross.

In 2016, Pitcher's first year in Cincinnati, the Bengals looked to fill the void created by the departures of WRs Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, who left in free agency prior to the season. Boyd, a rookie, and veteran free agent Brandon LaFell stepped in, combining for 118 catches for 1465 yards and seven TDs, outpacing the total of 98 catches and 1210 yards produced by Jones and Sanu in 2015, in what was considered their best combined year.

Prior to joining the Bengals, Pitcher spent four seasons in player personnel with the Indianapolis Colts. He served in 2014-15 as a pro scout, promoted to that position after working as a scouting assistant from '12-13.

With the Colts, Pitcher was part of a football operation that compiled a 41-23 regular-season record (.641), with three playoff berths, including two AFC South championships, and one trip to the AFC Championship Game. Pitcher was responsible for advance scouting reports on opponents, evaluation of free agents, monitoring rosters and evaluating players on other teams.

Pitcher began his post-playing career in 2012, coaching wide receivers at his alma mater, Cortland State, a part of New York's state university system. He spent 2009-11 as Cortland State's starting QB, and as a senior he was named a finalist for the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy, presented annually to the most outstanding Division III football player.

Pitcher was born in Cortland, N.Y. on Jan. 13, 1987, and lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Marissa. He graduated from Cortland State with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2010, and he earned a master's degree in sport management in '11.

Playing, scouting and coaching history: 2008-11—Played QB at SUNY Cortland. 2012—Assistant coach (AC), Cortland State. 2012-13—Scouting assistant, Indianapolis Colts. 2014-15—Pro scout, Indianapolis Colts. 2016-present—AC, Bengals.