Cincinnati Bengals Team | Bengals.com

Justin Hill is in his sixth season with the Bengals in 2026, after joining the staff in '21 as running backs coach.

Justin Hill is in his sixth season with the Bengals in 2026, after joining the staff in '21 as running backs coach.

In 2025, Hill helped third-year pro Chase Brown continue his ascension in the Bengals' high-powered offense. Brown posted career highs in rushing attempts (232), rushing yards (1019), receptions (69), receiving yards (437) and receiving TDs (five). With an additional six rushing TDs, he became the first Cincinnati running back to score double-digit TDs in consecutive seasons since HB Rudi Johnson from 2004-06. Brown also totaled 100 or more yards from scrimmage in eight games, highlighted by a Bengals-record streak of seven straight games from Weeks 7-13. His 1456 total scrimmage yards on the year were the most in a season by a Canadian-born player in NFL history.

In 2024, Hill guided Brown as he took over the role as Cincinnati's primary back in the second half of the season. Brown finished in the top 20 leaguewide in rushing yards (990; 17th), scrimmage yards (1350; 17th) and TDs from scrimmage (11; T-17th). He logged at least 90 scrimmage yards in eight straight contests (Weeks 9-17), joining former FB Boobie Clark in 1973 as the only players in team history to do so.

In 2023, Hill worked with veteran HB Joe Mixon as he recorded his fourth career 1000-yard rushing season. Mixon finished with 1034 yards on the ground to go with 376 receiving yards, which made him one of three NFL players with over 1200 scrimmage yards in each season since 2021 — when Hill joined the Bengals' staff.

In 2022, Hill helped Mixon contribute in all areas of the offense, as he notched a career-high 441 receiving yards and 1255 scrimmage yards. When Mixon missed two games midseason due to an injury, HB Samaje Perine stepped in and rushed for a combined 166 yards on 38 carries (4.4 average). Perine finished the regular season with 394 rushing yards, his most since 2017.

In 2021, Hill's first season in Cincinnati, Mixon enjoyed a career year that resulted in his first Pro Bowl selection. He ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards (1205) and rushing TDs (13) during the regular season, then ran for 262 yards in the postseason to help lead the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI.

Hill spent the previous six seasons (2015-20) as running backs coach at the University of Tulsa. During his tenure with the Golden Hurricane, the team's running backs totaled 50 100-yard rushing games earned a combined four all-conference honors. Hill also was at the helm for three of Tulsa's top five single-season rushing outputs.

Hill was promoted to run game coordinator prior to the 2020 season, and helped steer Tulsa's backfield through an injury to No. 1 RB Shamari Brooks. RBs Corey Taylor II and Deneric Prince stepped in and combined for 1076 rushing yards and eight TDs in just nine games.

In 2016, Hill guided RB James Flanders to a school-record 1629 rushing yards, which led the American Athletic Conference. Flanders and RB D'Angelo Brewer also became the first duo in school history to combine for 3000 rushing yards.

In 2017, Tulsa ranked 14th nationally in rushing (247.3), and Brewer became the all-time rushing leader (3917) for both Tulsa and the AAC. After the season, Hill was selected by the American Football Coaches Association to participate in the AFCA's "30 Under 30" Coaches' Leadership Institute.

Prior to his time at Tulsa, Hill spent three seasons (2012-14) at Baylor University, where he served as associate director of athletic performance for the football team. He spent 2011 as a graduate assistant coach at Iowa State.

Hill played collegiately at Rice University from 2007-10. He began his career as a running back, starting seven games and totaling a team-high 321 yards and three TDs as a true freshman. He then spent his final three seasons at linebacker and recorded 97 tackles, six pass break-ups and three FFs. He was a team co-captain in 2010 and won the Jess Nealy Award, an honor given annually to the Owls' top LB.

Hill was born Sept. 9, 1988 in Mesquite, Texas. He graduated from Rice in 2011 with a degree in sociology, then earned his master's in educational leadership and policy studies from Iowa State in 2015. He and his wife, Dana, have one daughter, Avery, and one son, Jordan.

Playing and coaching history: 2007-10—Played RB and LB at Rice. 2011—Graduate assistant, Iowa State. 2012-14—Associate director
of athletic performance, Baylor. 2015-20—Assistant coach (AC), Tulsa. 2021-present—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.

Last Updated June 2026