Charles Burks is in his eighth NFL season and his fifth in Cincinnati in 2026. He again serves as the Bengals' secondary/cornerbacks coach.
In 2025, Burks worked with the starting CB tandem of Dax Hill (fourth season) and DJ Turner II (third). Both players played in all 17 games and enjoyed breakout statistical campaigns, as Turner tied for third in the NFL with 18 PDs, while Hill ranked second on the team with a career-high-tying 11. Turner's total marked the most PDs by a Bengals player since the 2009 season, and he was voted an alternate for the Pro Bowl Games.
In 2024, Burks' position group primarily featured players with three or fewer years of NFL experience. Under Burks' guidance, third-year starter Cam Taylor-Britt led the team with a career-best 16 PDs, which also tied for fifth in the NFL. Burks also helped Hill make the transition to CB, after the Bengals' 2022 first-round draft pick spent his first two seasons at safety. Hill started each of the team's first five games in 2024 prior to suffering a season-ending injury. Hill's spot for the remainder of the season was occupied by Turner, who tallied
eight PDs, and rookie Josh Newton, who defended seven passes with an INT in six starts.
Taylor-Britt emerged as Cincinnati's top boundary corner in 2023, as Burks helped the second-year pro tie for the team lead with four INTs (tied for seventh in NFL) while totaling 11 PDs. Turner saw limited snaps early in his rookie campaign, but under Burks' tutelage he went on to start 12 of the team's final 13 games and recorded seven PDs, the most by a Cincinnati rookie defensive back since S Jessie Bates III (seven) in 2018.
In 2022, Burks coached a CBs room that played a key role in the Bengals holding opposing passers to a league-low 58.9 completion percentage. He helped in the adjustment to the pro game for Taylor-Britt, who missed the first six games of his rookie season due to an injury but went on to start the team's final nine regular-season games and all three postseason contests. Despite veteran CB Chidobe Awuzie suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 8, Burks' unit was instrumental in the Bengals allowing just 17 TD passes (tied for third-fewest in the NFL).
Burks began his NFL coaching career in Miami in 2019, spending two seasons as a coaching assistant with a focus on the team's cornerbacks before being promoted to cornerbacks coach in 2021. In 2021, he helped CB Xavien Howard further establish himself as one of the game's top corners, as the sixth-year veteran tied for fourth in the NFL in INTs (five), while tying for sixth in PDs (16). Howard earned his third career Pro Bowl nod, and his second during Burks' Miami tenure.
In 2020, Howard had a Dolphins single-season record 10 INTs, which also were the most by an NFL player since 2007, to earn first-team All-Pro honors. With Burks on staff, Miami's defense led the NFL in takeaways (29) and third-down defense (31.2 percent).
Prior to his time with the Dolphins, Burks spent eight seasons in the collegiate ranks. He served as defensive coordinator at Southeastern Oklahoma State from 2014-18, overseeing a unit in '18 that led all of NCAA Division II in passing defense (118.7 yards allowed per game).
In 2016, Burks coached CB Raheem Wilson, who led all Division II players with 24 PDs while recording five INTs to garner D-II All-America honors.
Burks coached at three schools in three seasons before Southeastern Oklahoma State, serving as secondary coach at Texas A&M-Commerce (2013), assistant secondary/cornerbacks coach at West Texas A&M (2012) and secondary coach at his alma mater, East Central University (2011).
A three-year letterman (2008-10) at East Central, located in Ada, Okla., Burks played cornerback for a Tigers team that won a Lone Star Conference North Division championship.
Burks was born in Laredo, Texas and is a native of Grand Prairie, Texas. He earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a minor in sociology from East Central, where he also received a master's degree in sports administration.
Playing and coaching history: 2008-10—Played CB at East Central University (Okla.). 2011—Assistant coach (AC), East Central. 2012—AC, West Texas A&M. 2013—AC, Texas A&M-Commerce. 2014-18—Defensive coordinator, Southeastern Oklahoma State. 2019-21—AC, Miami Dolphins. 2022-present—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
