Cincinnati Bengals Team | Bengals.com

Justin Hill enters his third season with the Bengals, and third as an NFL assistant, in 2023 after joining the team in '21 as running backs coach.

Justin Hill enters his third season with the Bengals, and third as an NFL assistant, in 2022 after joining the team in '21 as running backs coach.

In his debut campaign in Cincinnati, Hill was instrumental in RB Joe Mixon's career year, as the fifth-year back ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards (1205) and rushing TDs (13). Mixon earned his first Pro Bowl selection and carried his strong play into the postseason, where he recorded 262 yards on 67 attempts (3.9 average) over four games to help lead the Bengals to an AFC Championship win and a spot in Super Bowl LVI. Mixon was also a reliable option in the passing game, netting 42 receptions for a career-high 314 yards and three TDs. He became one of just four players in franchise history to amass 4000 career rushing yards and 1000 receiving yards, and is the fastest to do so (60 games).

Hill spent the previous six seasons (2015-20) at the University of Tulsa, where he also served as running backs coach. During his tenure with the Golden Hurricane, the team's running backs totaled 50 100-yard rushing games and five 200-yard games. As a team, they topped 300 yards rushing in 13 games, while his running backs earned four all-conference honors.

In 2020, Hill was promoted before the season to run game coordinator, and then helped steer Tulsa's backfield through an injury to No. 1 RB Shamari Brooks, who did not play at all due to a torn ACL in preseason camp. RBs Corey Taylor II and Deneric Prince stepped in and combined for 1076 rushing yards and eight TDs in just nine games.

In 2016, Two of Hill's proteges — RBs James Flanders and D'Angelo Brewer — each topped 1000 yards rushing, with Flanders' school-record 1629 yards leading the American Athletic Conference. Flanders and Brewer became the first duo in school history to combine for at least 3000 rushing yards, while Tulsa's offense was the first in NCAA history to have a 3000-yard passer, two 1000-yard rushers and two 1000-yard receivers. The Golden Hurricane ranked eighth nationally in rushing yards per game (261.7), and set a school record with eight 300-plus yard games.

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

Over his tenure at Tulsa, Hill guided four players — Flanders, Brewer, Brooks and Taylor — to 1000 career rushing yards. He also was at the helm for three of Tulsa's top five single-season rushing outputs.

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 racking up a team-high 321 yards and three TDs as a true freshman. Due to injuries on Rice's defense the following year, Hill moved to the other side of the ball. He spent his final three seasons at linebacker, and totaled 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 linebacker.

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