Jerry Montgomery is in his 12th season on an NFL coaching staff and his second with Cincinnati in 2026. He again serves as defensive line coach/run game coordinator.
In 2025, his first season on the Bengals' staff, Montgomery helped several young Bengals defenders improve as the season progressed. Cincinnati posted 22 team sacks over its final eight games, the seventh-most in the NFL during that stretch, while also allowing 41.1 fewer rushing yards per game in the second half of the season (Weeks 11-18) compared to the first (Weeks 1-9). Montgomery guided third-year DE Myles Murphy to a career-high and team-leading 5.5 sacks, with four coming in the final nine contests.
Montgomery came to Cincinnati from the New England Patriots, where he spent the 2024 season as defensive line coach. He helped DE Keion White record a career-best five sacks, which tied for the team lead alongside DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
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, while veteran DT Kenny Clark had a career-high 7.5 sacks.
In 2022, Smith led the Packers in sacks (9.5) for the first time in his career under Montgomery. Clark earned his second Pro Bowl nod, and the D-line helped Green Bay tie for 10th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (109.1).
In 2020, Montgomery helped the Packers rank 13th in the NFL in rushing defense (112.8) and tied for 10th in total sacks (41). He guided veteran DE Za'Darius Smith to a team-high 12.5 sacks (tied for fourth in NFL), which netted him second-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press.
In 2019, Montgomery coached Clark and Za'Darius Smith to career years, as Clark registered 89 tackles while smith ranked sixth leaguewide with 13.5 sacks. Both players received their first career Pro Bowl nod.
In 2018, Montgomery's first season as defensive line coach, the Packers ranked eighth in the NFL in total sacks (44), marking their highest figure since the '13 campaign.
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 ranked second in the Big 12 in rushing defense (137.6 yards allowed per game).
Montgomery spent the 2011-12 seasons as defensive line coach at the University of Michigan. In 2011, he helped the Wolverines rank 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-present—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
