Brad Kragthorpe is in his fifth season on the Bengals' staff in 2023, and his first in the role of assistant quarterbacks coach. He spent the previous two seasons (2021-22) as assistant wide receivers coach, after serving as an offensive assistant from '19-20.
In 2022, Kragthorpe again worked with a dynamic receiving corps that featured Tyler Boyd, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Each player recorded over 700 receiving yards, making the Bengals one of two NFL teams with three WRs to reach that number. Chase, despite missing four games due to a hip injury, led the team in receptions (87), receiving yards (1046) and receiving TDs (nine) to earn his second straight Pro Bowl nod, while Higgins posted 74 catches for 1029 yards and seven TDs. Cincinnati's production at wide receiver helped drive an offense that ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards per game (265.0).
In 2021, Kragthorpe worked with the team's first-round draft pick in Chase, who he previously coached at Louisiana State in 2018. Chase was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year after posting the most receiving yards by a first-year player in the Super Bowl era (1455), while grabbing 13 receiving TDs. He and Higgins (1091 yards) became the first duo in NFL history to record 1000 receiving yards in the same season before the age of 23. Combined with Boyd (828 yards), they combined for 3374 receiving yards during the regular season, the most by any trio in the NFL.
Serving as an offensive assistant in 2020, Kragthorpe helped QB Joe Burrow make the transition from college to the NFL. Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, was on pace for one of the most productive rookie campaigns by a QB in NFL history before a knee injury ended his season after 10 games. His 264 completions were the most by an NFL QB through their first 10 career games, while his 404 pass attempts were second and his 2688 passing yards were fifth.
In 2019, Kragthorpe and the Cincinnati offensive staff helped key a turnaround in the second half of the season, as the Bengals averaged 70.6 more rushing yards over the final eight games (130.1) compared to the first eight (59.5). Their average rushing yards per attempt jumped 1.26 yards (3.17 to 4.43) over the same span, while they allowed 10 fewer sacks.
Kragthorpe spent the 2018 season as an offensive analyst at LSU, working with an offense that featured both Burrow and Chase. In his first season with the Tigers after transferring from Ohio State, Burrow started all 13 games and threw 16 TD passes to just five INTs (fewest by a starting QB in the SEC). He helped lead LSU to a 10-3 record and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl, where Chase had a game-high 93 receiving yards and a TD.
Prior to his time at LSU, Kragthorpe spent two seasons (2016-17) as an offensive graduate assistant coach at Utah State University. He worked with the Aggies' wide receivers.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Kragthorpe was a college quarterback. He opened his collegiate career at Idaho State in 2011 (did not play), and then transferred to Louisiana State for his final three years of eligibility. After sitting out the 2012 season at LSU due to NCAA transfer rules, he served as a reserve QB for the Tigers from 2013-15 and appeared in 25 career games. Kragthorpe served as the Tigers' primary holder on placekicks for his final two seasons, and in 2015 was part of one of college football's signature plays when, on a fake FG attempt against rival Florida, he threw a backward pass to K Trent Dominigue, who then raced 16 yards for what proved to be the game-winning score in a 28-21 LSU win.
Kragthorpe was born March 2, 1992, in Flagstaff, Ariz. He attended Holland High School in Tulsa, Okla., where he was a standout in both football and baseball. His father, Steven Kragthorpe, was a college head coach at Tulsa (2003-06) and Louisville ('07-09). His grandfather, Dave Kragthorpe, was a college head coach at South Dakota State (1969), Idaho State ('80-82) and Oregon State ('85-90).
Playing and coaching history: 2011—Played quarterback, Idaho State. 2012-15—Played quarterback, Louisiana State. 2016-17—Graduate assistant coach, Utah State. 2018—Assistant coach (AC), Louisiana State. 2019-present—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
