Bruce Coslet
Encyclopedia
Bruce Coslet is a former American college and professional football player and professional football coach. A tight end, he played for the University of the Pacific and in 1969 debuted with the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...

's Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...

. He played for the Bengals in the NFL through 1976.

Cincinnati Bengals (1986-89)

Coslet was named the offensive coordinator for the Bengals in 1986 under head coach Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...

. In his first year in the position Cincinnati's offense ranked first in the league in total yards and third in total points scored, and the Bengals finished the season with a 10-6 record. It was not enough, however, for the team to make the playoffs as they were one of four teams in the AFC that finished 10-6 and did not have any tiebreakers favoring them. In 1987 the Bengals ranked fifth in total yards under Coslet, but failed to score many points and finished the season with a 4-11 record.

The Bengals' best was yet to come, however, and Coslet's offensive unit finished with the top scoring and top yardage producing offense in 1988. It helped the Bengals finish 12-4 and reach the Super Bowl, only for them to lose to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...

. Although Cincinnati failed to return to the playoffs in 1989, Coslet's unit was again in the top five in the league as they scored the fourth most points and produced the third most total yards in the NFL.

With his successes as an assistant, Coslet found himself highly sought after as a head coach and was hired by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 for the 1990 season.

New York Jets (1990-93)

Coslet took over a Jets team that had finished 4-12 under Joe Walton
Joe Walton
Joseph Frank Walton is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Robert Morris University. Walton played eight seasons in the National Football League and served as head coach of the New York Jets for seven seasons...

 the year before and improved the team's fortunes slightly. The Jets were hovering around .500 for the first half of the season, but a five-game losing streak took away any hope of that. The Jets finished 6-10, winning their last two games of the year against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

.

In 1991, the Jets did not start out particularly well as, after an opening week win against Tampa Bay, the team dropped their next three games. Coslet led the team to six wins in their next eight games, putting the Jets into playoff contention, but the team required a win in their final game against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 after losing three straight games. The Jets won, giving Coslet his first (and what proved to be his only) playoff appearance. New York was quickly eliminated, however, by the Houston Oilers in the wild card round.

Coslet's 1992 team was decimated by injuries and hampered by the ineffective play of new starting quarterback Browning Nagle
Browning Nagle
Browning Nagle was a quarterback for the National Football League's New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Atlanta Falcons. He also played as a quarterback for the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators and Buffalo Destroyers.-Career:...

, who was named the starter after longtime veteran starter Ken O'Brien
Ken O'Brien
Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most...

 held out for most of the first half of the season. Among the injured players were veteran wide receiver Al Toon
Al Toon
Albert Lee Toon, Jr. is a former professional American football player. He was selected by the New York Jets in the 1st round of the 1985 NFL Draft...

, who suffered a concussion against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 in Week 10 and was forced to retire immediately after the game, and defensive end Dennis Byrd
Dennis Byrd
Dennis DeWayne Byrd is a former defensive end and defensive tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He attended college at the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He played professionally for the Jets for four seasons beginning in 1989...

, who suffered a career ending broken neck in Week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

. Although the Jets finished 4-12, two of the wins came against AFC East division champion Miami and the eventual AFC champion Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

.

The Jets retained Coslet for the 1993 season, but it became clear that this was going to be his final year unless the Jets somehow qualified for the playoffs. To help the Jets make a run toward the playoffs, the Jets acquired Coslet's former starting quarterback with the Bengals, Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...

, in the offseason. Through thirteen games the Jets looked to be primed to make the playoffs, as a Week 15 win over the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

 had them at 8-5 and was their sixth win in their last seven games. However, New York was blown out at home by the defending Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 in Week 16 and then blew a fourth quarter lead and lost to the Bills, and needed a victory in Week 18 against a Houston team that was on a ten-game winning streak. The Jets were shut out, 24-0, and Coslet was fired shortly thereafter with his second 8-8 mark.

Return to the Bengals (1994-2000)

Coslet returned to the Bengals, who were now coached by Dave Shula
Dave Shula
David Donald Shula is a former American football player and coach. The son of famed National Football League coach Don Shula and brother of Mike Shula, he now works with his father in the family's restaurant business, Shula's Steak Houses....

, and retook his offensive coordinator position. Cincinnati was not the same place that Coslet had left, as the team was now one of the most consistently losing teams in the league. In his first two years as coordinator Coslet's offensive unit hovered around the middle of the league in yards and points scored while the Bengals won a combined 10 games. The team did have some bright spots offensively, as Coslet's former backup quarterback with the Jets, Jeff Blake
Jeff Blake
Jeff Bertrand Coleman Blake is a retired American football quarterback who played in the National Football League. Although he finished his career with the Chicago Bears, he was formerly a quarterback for the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona...

, became a star starter (ending the era of first round bust David Klingler
David Klingler
David Ryan Klingler , is a former American football player. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals after a record setting quarterback career at the University of Houston...

 as Bengals quarterback) and wide receivers Carl Pickens
Carl Pickens
Carl McNally Pickens is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL who played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans....

 and Darnay Scott
Darnay Scott
Darnay Scott is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft.-High school career:...

 were his two main targets. In Coslet's first season back, Pickens had over 1,000 yards receiving and the rookie Scott added 866. Coslet's offensive unit improved somewhat in 1995, as Blake threw for over 3,800 yards and made the Pro Bowl while Pickens recorded 17 receiving touchdowns and 1,234 yards to join Blake. Scott recorded 821 yards, and tight end Tony McGee
Tony McGee
Anthony Eugene McGee is a former professional American football player who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League. He played in two Super Bowls for the Washington Redskins...

 caught 55 passes for 754 yards. Although the yardage wasn't there, Coslet's offense finished fourth in the league in total touchdowns with 29.

After a 1-6 start to the 1996 season, Shula announced his resignation and Coslet was promoted to the head coaching position. Although the Bengals once again failed to make the playoffs, Coslet led the team to a 7-2 finish and the offensive unit was back in the NFL's top 10. Pickens and Scott again proved to be an effective 1-2 combination, as Pickens caught 100 passes and topped 1,000 yards for the third straight year while Scott added 58 catches for 833 yards. Blake threw for 3,624 yards, but it was not good enough to make the Pro Bowl; Pickens was the offense's only representative.

Although Coslet saw the team take a slight step backward, finishing at 7-9 in 1997, the offense again finished in the top ten in points scored and total yards. Most of that was due to the re-emergence of Boomer Esiason, who the Bengals reacquired in the offseason and who replaced a largely ineffective Blake with five games left in the season. Esiason won four of those starts, with his only loss coming in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 where he threw four touchdown passes only to be beat on a late field goal. Esiason threw 13 touchdown passes against two interceptions in his limited action. Although Scott and Pickens' receiving statistics went down considerably- Scott led the team with 54 catches and 797 yards, while Pickens only managed 52 catches in 695 yards while missing four games- the offense found a new star in emerging rookie running back Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...

, who amassed over 1,100 yards despite only making six total starts.

The 1998 Bengals took a nosedive, finishing at 3-13. Coslet elected to give the starting job to veteran Neil O'Donnell
Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...

, who had just been released from a multi-million dollar long term deal he'd signed with the Jets prior to the 1996 season. O'Donnell, Blake, and Paul Justin
Paul Justin
Paul Donald Justin is a retired National Football League quarterback.Justin, a graduate and football standout at Arizona State University, played with three different teams in his NFL career: the Indianapolis Colts , the Cincinnati Bengals , and the St. Louis Rams...

 all saw action as starting quarterback that year, with O'Donnell leading the team in wins with just two. Despite this, Pickens returned to form leading the team in catches and yards while Scott led the team with seven touchdowns. Dillon became the full-time starting halfback and rushed for 1,100 yards again.

Coslet's 1999 team did little better, and started out by losing ten of its first eleven games. Blake was once again the starter for most of the year, with rookie Akili Smith
Akili Smith
Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, the third quarterback in the first three choices, behind Tim Couch , and Donovan McNabb...

 getting four starts. Blake managed to throw for 2,670 yards and 16 touchdowns despite only winning three of his starts, while Smith showed the struggles that would come to define his career by only throwing two touchdowns versus six interceptions. Although the offense struggled, Dillon again topped a thousand yards by rushing for exactly 1,200 and Scott topped 1,000 receiving yards and led the team in catches, yards, and touchdowns. Pickens could only manage 57 catches for 737 yards. In addition, Pickens was highly critical of Coslet toward the end of the season, and denounced the team for keeping him on despite the last two seasons.

In the 1999 offseason, the Bengals decided to overhaul their roster. Blake was allowed to leave in free agency and signed with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....

. Pickens was released and played out his final season with the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

. Scott did not play at all in the 2000 season, and Smith was named the starter. The focus of the offense was to be on Dillon, Scott, and highly touted #1 draft pick Peter Warrick
Peter Warrick
Peter Warrick is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals fourth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...

. However, Coslet saw his team struggle in their first game as a unit against the newly reformed Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 and lost 24-7. The next week, the Jacksonville Jaguars shut out Coslet's team 14-0. After their third consecutive loss, this one a 37-0 blowout against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...

, Coslet resigned the next day out of frustration and handed control of the team to defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau
Dick LeBeau
Charles Richard “Dick” LeBeau is a National Football League Hall of Fame defensive back. He is currently the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator and is considered to be one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all time. He spent 14 years in the NFL as a player with the Detroit Lions and...

.

Dallas Cowboys (2002)

After a year off, Coslet was hired by Cowboys head coach Dave Campo
Dave Campo
Dave Campo is an American football coach, a former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and currently secondary coach with the Cowboys.-High school years:...

 to serve as his offensive coordinator. Coslet's unit ranked near the bottom of the league in both points scored and total yards. Under Coslet, Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...

 saw his streak of 1,000 yard seasons broken at eleven despite his setting of the NFL's all time rushing yardage record. Smith also only managed five rushing touchdowns, two off his career low. Neither of his starting quarterbacks, Chad Hutchinson
Chad Hutchinson
Chad Martin Hutchinson is a retired National Football League quarterback and Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and the St. Louis Cardinals of the MLB...

 or Quincy Carter
Quincy Carter
Lavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...

, were effective either. After a 5-11 finish, the third straight under Campo, Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...

 was hired as head coach and Coslet was not retained. He has not held a coaching position since.

Head coaching record

Team |Regular Season NYJ
1990 New York Jets season
-Schedule:-External links:*...

1990
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...

6 10 0 .375 4th in AFC East
NYJ
1991 New York Jets season
-Schedule:-Playoffs:-External links:*...

1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....

8 8 0 .500 2nd in AFC East 0 1 .000 Lost to the Houston Oilers in AFC Wild Card Playoff Game
NYJ
1992 New York Jets season
The 1992 New York Jets season was the 33rd season for the team and the 23rd in the National Football League. The Jets were looking to improve on their 8–8 record under head coach Bruce Coslet in 1991 and also make a second consecutive trip to the AFC Playoffs...

1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...

4 12 0 .250 4th in AFC East
NYJ
1993 New York Jets season
The 1993 New York Jets season was the 34th season for the team and the 24th in the National Football League. After the team had returned from its 1991 playoff season with a 4–12 1992 campaign, the Jets and coach Bruce Coslet looked to get back into the postseason.The biggest acquisition for the...

1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...

8 8 0 .500 3rd in AFC East
NYJ Total 26 38 0 0 1 .000
CIN
1996 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1996 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 29th year in professional football and its 27th with the National Football League. Carl Pickens became the first member of the Bengals to have 100 receptions in a season.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:...

1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...

7 2 0 .778 3rd in AFC Central
CIN
1997 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1997 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 30th year in professional football and its 28th with the National Football League. Corey Dillon set a rookie rushing record for most yards in a game...

1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...

7 9 0 .438 4rd in AFC Central
CIN
1998 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1998 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 31st year in professional football and its 29th with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Awards and records:...

1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...

3 13 0 .188 5th in AFC Central
CIN
1999 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1999 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 32nd year in professional football and its 30th with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Milestones:...

1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...

4 12 0 .250 5th in AFC Central
CIN
2000 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2000 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 33rd year in professional football and its 31st with the National Football League. Corey Dillon would rank fifth in the NFL with 1,435 rushing yards and set a franchise record for most rushing yards in one season...

2000
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...

0 3 0 .000 5th in AFC Central
CIN Total 21 39 0
Total 47 77 0 0 1 .000

See also

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