Jerry Montgomery is in his 11th season on an NFL coaching staff and his first with Cincinnati. He joined the Bengals in 2025 as defensive line coach/run game coordinator.
Montgomery came to Cincinnati from the New England Patriots, where he spent the 2024 season as defensive line coach. Under Montgomery's guidance, New England's starting DE tandem of Keion White and Deatrich Wise Jr. tied for the team lead in sacks with five apiece. That total marked a career high for White and the second-highest in Wise's eight-year career.
Prior to New England, Montgomery spent nine seasons (2015-23) with the Green Bay Packers, where he served as defensive front assistant from '15-17 and defensive line coach from '18-23. He also had the title of running game coordinator for the 2022-23 seasons. In 2023, he worked with DEs Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, who led the team with nine and eight sacks, respectively. He also helped veteran DT Kenny Clark post career highs in sacks (7.5) and FFs (two).
In 2022, Montgomery worked with Smith as he led the team in sacks for the first time in his career (8.5). His D-line unit in 2021 helped the Packers tie for 10th in the NFL in rushing defense (109.1 yards/game). That season, Gary broke out with a career-high 9.5 sacks, after totaling seven in his first two years in the league. Clark earned his second Pro Bowl nod under Montgomery, becoming just the third DT in Packers history to make multiple Pro Bowls.
In 2020, Montgomery helped the Packers rank 13th in the NFL in rushing defense (112.8) and tied for 10th in total sacks (41). Working with Montgomery, veteran DE Za'Darius Smith picked up Associated Press second-team All-Pro honors after logging a team-high 12.5 sacks (tied for fourth in NFL) and four FFs (tied for third).
In 2019, Montgomery helped Clark and Za'Darius Smith each earn their first Pro Bowl. Clark registered a career-high 89 tackles, while Smith ranked sixth leaguewide with a career-best 13.5 sacks.
In 2018, Montgomery's first season as defensive line coach, he oversaw a unit that helped the Packers post 44 total sacks, the eighth-most in the NFL that year and Green Bay's most as a team since '13.
Montgomery transitioned to the NFL after eight seasons (2007-14) as a full-time coach at the Division-I college level. He spent the 2013-14 campaigns as defensive line coach at the University of Oklahoma, where in '14 he was named Scout.com's Big 12 Recruiter of the Year. In 2013, Oklahoma led the Big 12 in total defense (350.2 yards allowed per game) and ranked second in rushing defense (137.6).
Montgomery spent the 2011-12 seasons as defensive line coach at the University of Michigan, where he helped the Wolverines limit opponents to 18.6 points per game. In 2011, Michigan ranked third in the Big Ten in rushing defense (131.7 yards/game).
Prior to Michigan, Montgomery coached defensive line at the University of Wyoming (2009-10) and the University of Northern Iowa ('07-08). His tenure at Northern Iowa began as a graduate assistant/defensive tackles coach in 2006.
Montgomery served as defensive coordinator at North Iowa Community College (2005), assistant coach at Iowa City West High School ('03-04) and student assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Iowa ('02). During that time, he also had playing stints with the Chicago Rush, Colorado Crush and Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League.
Montgomery was a four-year letter winner (1998-2001) and three-year starting DT at Iowa, then spent training camp in '02 with the New Orleans Saints. As a senior at Iowa in 2001, he helped lead the Hawkeyes to a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten and a victory in the Alamo Bowl.
Montgomery was born in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 19, 1979. He and his wife, Natalie, have three sons — Jayden, Tevon and Jace — and two daughters — Talayla and Havana.
Playing and coaching history: 1998-2001—Played DT at Iowa. 2002—Student assistant coach at Iowa. 2003-04—Assistant coach (AC) in Iowa high school ranks. 2005—Defensive coordinator, North Iowa Community College. 2006—Graduate AC, Northern Iowa. 2007-08—AC, Northern Iowa. 2009-10—AC, Wyoming. 2011-12—AC, Michigan. 2013-14—AC, Oklahoma. 2015-23—AC, Green Bay Packers. 2024—AC, New England Patriots. 2025—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
