Michael McCarthy is in his first season on the Bengals' coaching staff in 2025 and serves as assistant offensive line coach. He came to Cincinnati from the New England Patriots, where he spent the 2024 season as an offensive coaching assistant.
In 2024, McCarthy served on the New England staff alongside current Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters. He helped scheme a Patriots offense that averaged 115.8 rushing yards per game, the 13th-best average in the NFL. He also helped the offensive line protect rookie QB Drake Maye, the team's first-round draft choice who made his first career start in Week 6.
Prior to New England, McCarthy spent five seasons (2019-23) as offensive line coach at Brown University. During his tenure, he helped revitalize Brown's offense into one of the most high-scoring and up-tempo in the Ivy League and FCS Football. McCarthy's O-line paved the way for an offense that ranked 15th in the FCS in total offense in 2019 and 12th in '21. In 2023, McCarthy was part of a coaching staff that helped Brown reach its highest win total since 2015. He coached a Brown offensive lineman to All-Ivy League selections in each of his five years on staff, including Jack Connolly's first-team nod in 2023.
McCarthy spent the 2018 season as an offensive assistant at Rutgers University, where he worked with the team's quarterbacks and assisted the offensive coordinator.
McCarthy served as an offensive quality control and assistant offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions from 2016-17. He worked closely with G T.J. Lang, who earned his second career Pro Bowl selection in 2017. In 2016, he coached a pair of rookie O-linemen in OT Taylor Decker and G Graham Glasgow. Each player started at least 11 games, helping the Lions post a 9-7 record and earn a postseason berth.
McCarthy's first full-time position on an NFL coaching staff came with the Cleveland Browns, where he served as an offensive quality control coach in 2015. He worked with an offensive line that included Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas, as well as G Joel Bitonio, C Alex Mack and OT Mitch Schwartz.
McCarthy spent the 2014 season as tight ends coach at North Carolina Central University, where he helped the Eagles win a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. He previously was a graduate assistant with a focus on the offensive line at Tulane University from 2011-13. In 2013, he helped the Green Wave win seven games and snap an 11-year postseason drought.
Prior to Tulane, McCarthy served as the video director at Western Michigan University from 2010-11. His first coaching position came in 2009, when he coached the offensive line at the College of New Jersey.
McCarthy's first NFL opportunity was with the N.Y. Jets, who he spent the 2008 season with as a video and scouting intern. He worked in the video and recruiting departments at Rutgers University in 2007.
McCarthy played outside linebacker and long-snapper at Widener University in Chester, Pa., from 2003-07. He graduated from Widener in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in business administration, then later completed his master's in sports management at Western Michigan in 2012.
McCarthy was born in Staten Island, N.Y., on June 25, 1985. He and his wife, Catie, have two children, Michael Jr. and Delaney.
Playing and coaching history: 2003-07—Played LB and LS at Widener University. 2008—Scouting and video intern, N.Y. Jets. 2009—Assistant coach (AC), The College of New Jersey. 2010-11—Video director, Western Michigan. 2012-13—Graduate assistant coach, Tulane. 2014—AC, North Carolina Central. 2015—AC, Cleveland Browns. 2016-17—AC, Detroit Lions. 2018—AC, Rutgers. 2019-23—AC, Brown. 2024—AC, New England Patriots. 2025—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
