Boese is in his second Bengals and NFL season in 2020, and will again lead the team's strength and conditioning program.
In his first season in Cincinnati, Boese's program helped the Bengals to a late-season surge, with the team showing vast improvements on both offense and defense the second half of the year. Offensively, the Bengals averaged 70.6 more rushing yards per game in the second half of the season (130.1) than the first (59.5). The team's average rushing yards per attempt also jumped 1.26 yards (3.17 to 4.43) over the final eight games, and the offense allowed 10 fewer sacks. Defensively, Cincinnati notched 11 more sacks the second half of the year, and allowed 84.1 fewer yards per game (57.5 fewer rushing, 26.6 fewer passing yards). Opposing QBs completed just 59.3 percent of their passes against the Bengals the second half of the season, compared to 64.3 percent over the first eight games.
Prior to joining the Bengals, Boese spent three years (2016-18) as the head football strength and conditioning coach at the University of Illinois, where he helped the Illini develop one of the most powerful rushing offenses in the Big Ten Conference. In 2018, the team's 244.2 yards per game on the ground ranked second in the Big Ten, and RB Reggie Corbin led the conference in yards per attempt (8.5) en route to third-team All-Big Ten honors.
Prior to his time at Illinois, Boese was head strength and conditioning coach at Fresno State University from 2012-15. In his first two seasons at Fresno State, Boese helped the Bulldogs to back-to-back conference titles, a first for the program since 1992-93. Boese also helped develop 14 All-Mountain West first-team performers and six NFL draft picks, including Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr. Fresno State's most success came in 2013, Boese's second year with the program, when the Bulldogs tied the school record for wins (11) and reached as high as No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Boese broke into the coaching ranks as assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Texas A&M football team from 2008-11. During his time with the Aggies, Boese coached seven future first-round NFL draft picks, including Denver Broncos all-pro LB Von Miller. He also worked alongside several members of the current Bengals coaching staff, including head coach Zac Taylor, offensive line coach Jim Turner and assistant offensive line coach Ben Martin.
Between August 2009 and July 2011, Boese worked as the head strength and conditioning coach for Texas A&M's baseball team, and helped the Aggies reach the 2011 College World Series.
Boese attended the University of Wisconsin, where he played defensive back on the football team from 1998-2001. He was a four-year letter winner, two-year starter at defensive back, three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, and helped the Badgers to back-to-back Rose Bowl victories (1998 and '99) and a Sun Bowl victory (2000). After college, he played four seasons (2003-06) in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders. After his playing days, Boese served as a defensive video intern with the Nebraska football team in 2007.
Boese was born in Chicago, Ill., but was raised in Southern California. He earned a bachelor's degree in communication arts from Wisconsin in 2002, and finished his master's of science in health, physical education and recreation at Emporia State University in '08. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), and a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).Boese and his wife, Aimee, have three sons — Sam, Ben and Max. His last name is pronounced "bo-ZAY."
Playing and coaching history: 1998-2001—Played DB at Wisconsin. 2003-06—Played DB with Calgary Stampeders (CFL). 2008-11—Assistant coach (AC), Texas A&M. 2012-15—AC, Fresno State. 2016-18—AC, Illinois. 2019-present—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
