Justin Rascati is in his second season on the Bengals' staff in 2025 and his seventh as an NFL coach. He again serves as pass game coordinator.
In 2024, his first season with Cincinnati, Rascati helped develop a passing offense that performed among the league's best. The Bengals led the NFL with a franchise-record 272.9 net passing yards per game, marking the first time Cincinnati paced the league in that category since 1975. With Rascati on staff, QB Joe Burrow set team single-season records and led the NFL in completions (460), passing yards (4918) and TD passes (43). WR Ja'Marr Chase became the sixth player in the Super Bowl era to claim the receiving "Triple Crown," as he led all players in receptions (127), receiving yards (1708) and receiving TDs (17).
Rascati came to Cincinnati from the Minnesota Vikings, where he served as assistant offensive line coach from 2022-23. In 2023, Minnesota dealt with a wave of injuries that were headlined by four different QBs starting at least two games. Still, Rascati worked with an offensive line that helped the Vikings total 4359 net passing yards, the fifth-most in the NFL.
In 2022, Rascati helped oversee an offensive line that pass protected for QB Kirk Cousins, who set a single-season team record for passing attempts (698) and ranked second in team history in passing yards (4,547). The O-line also opened holes for RB Dalvin Cook's fourth consecutive 1000-yard rushing season. With Rascati on staff, the Vikings won 13 games — their most since 2017 — and clinched the NFC North Division title.
Prior to Minnesota, Rascati spent three seasons (2019-21) as an offensive quality control coach with the Denver Broncos. He spent his first two years primarily assisting Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak, then transitioned to work closely with the team's QBs in 2021. That season, veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater posted the second-highest passer rating of his career (94.9).
In 2020, the Broncos featured five different starting lineups, but steadily improved as the year progressed and allowed the NFL's fourth-fewest sacks (19) over the final 14 weeks of the regular season. Rascati worked with OT Garett Bolles, who started 15 games and earned second-team All-Pro honors.
In 2019, Rascati's first season on an NFL coaching staff, he helped guide a Vikings offensive line that opened holes for RB Phillip Lindsay's 1011 rushing yards and seven rushing TDs.
Rascati made the jump to the NFL after seven years in the college coaching ranks. He served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga from 2017-18, after spending the '16 campaign as offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech University. He coached wide receivers and held the title of passing game coordinator at the University of Tennessee-Martin from 2014-15.
Rascati's first college coaching job came at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where he coached quarterbacks from 2012-13. He broke into coaching as offensive coordinator at Kentucky Country Day School in Louisville, Ky., from 2010-11.
As a player, Rascati began his college career at Louisville (2003) before transferring to James Madison University for his final three seasons ('04-06). He passed for 5912 yards and 51 TDs in his JMU career, and led the Dukes to a 13-2 record and the program's first FCS national championship in 2004. He went on to play two seasons in the AF2 (Arena Football League developmental league), spending the 2008 season with the Peoria Pirates in Peoria, Ill., and the '09 campaign with the Lexington Horsemen (later known as Kentucky Horsemen).
Rascati was born in Gainesville, Fla., on Feb. 8, 1984. He finished his prep career at Buchholz High School in Gainesville as the school's all-time leader in passing yards (5033) and TD passes (45). He graduated from James Madison in 2007. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three sons — Rhett, Rhys and Riley. Last name is pronounced "rah-SCOTT-ee."
Playing and coaching history: 2002-03—Played QB at Louisville. 2004-06—Played QB at James Madison. 2008—Played QB with Peoria Pirates (Arena Football Developmental League). 2009—Played QB with Lexington Horsemen (AF2). 2010-11—Assistant coach (AC) in Kentucky high school ranks. 2012-13—AC, Weber State. 2014-15—AC, Tennessee-Martin. 2016—AC, Tennessee Tech. 2017-18—AC, Tennessee-Chattanooga. 2019-21—AC, Denver Broncos. 2022-23—AC, Minnesota Vikings. 2024-present—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
